Crying Without Tears
by Rose-Wisteria
Summary: NEW FIC! One never knew who her parents were while the other wished he had known his parents better. Through a flock of black ravens, they found each other and a place in their own worlds. Sheelos, angst, fluff
1. Heavenly Sonata

**Note To Readers: **Just another idea picked up from the back of my mind while riding in the car for many long hours, for some unknown reason. Just another Sheelos fic, this one will be a bit angsty at times and fluffy at others. I actually worked a lot in this chapter... a lot. In other words, I put in a lot of effort on this chapter so hopefully; everyone will give me some feedback, please?

**Summary**: One never knew who her parents were while the other wished he had known his parents better. Through a flock of black ravens, they found each other and a place in their own worlds. Sheelos, angst, fluff

**Dedication: **I'm dedicating to both of my grandmothers…who both left this world too early for me to understand them better. Wherever you are, I hope you're in perfect peace. Sometimes, I wish you'd come back once more. But that would be impossible and against all laws of nature so instead, I wrote this fic to show how much both of you mean to me.

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_**The world would have no rainbow had the eyes no tears.**_

_**-John Vance Cheney**_

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_**Crying Without Tears**_

_**Chapter I: Heavenly Sonata**_

_**By Rose-Wisteria**_

His fingers meandered across the bark of the willow tree while his teary ocean coloured marbles focused on the leaves without a care for anything else in the worlds. She had disappeared from his life so many years ago and yet, the pain still persisted on and on in his heart. The male in the black polo shirt stood there and inhaled several breaths of fresh air from the forest, obtaining some love of freedom and relief from the fact that he was away from any city or town. The forests near the Izoold were a great place to reminisce lost memories, but mostly, to rest in the pleasure that he was in a more comforting place and to feel a great measure of pride of the years he had spent still spend standing on his own two feet.

For once, the Chosen seemed far more engrossed in his thoughts swirling teasingly in him than the ideas of others passing by him. His white headband rested on his forehead, not even a single stain dared to spoil the colorless item, while his wavy fiery hair flowed with the breeze that moved through the forest He sighed. It was useless thinking about her now. She was never coming back. The woman he had known so little about, who had died a terrible death so many years ago, and yet, the memory was so fresh as if it had been imprinted deep within his conscience forever.

Snow falling… the endless white dots falling down from the horizon. The tickling sensation in one's mouth was now descending to their world. They were harmless. Of course they were, since they were mere snowflakes.

But to the former Chosen, the snow he saw before his eyes were dangerous, even deadly. It was no ordinary snow he saw, all white and unique. On that day, they were all the same- crimson.

Shaking his head, he drew his vision back to the bark of tree instead of that memory from so long ago. If only that attack had hit him instead, she would still be here. If only he had never been born, everything would be back to normal. Then again, if he weren't born, some other unfortunate individual would have taken his place. Leaving this discussion behind, he held his arms tightly to himself, feeling the breeze, no longer so friendly and pleasant, but upset. He left the forest and headed for the gorge.

Flying beasts or any sort of monsters no longer inhabited the Ossa trail near the forests any longer. Both worlds were no longer fighting for mana. Exspheres were no longer needed and people haven't been in battles for the last two years. This had made life easier for everyone.

The male around the age of twenty-four grabbed his pink vest and went to the trail, which led to the mountains. He had promised that he had to come here today… even if it was going to rain. He peered up at the sky, the gloomy clouds were already forming and the blue skies were gone now. He sighed to himself; it was going to be a long trip around the trail and through the mountains.

"I am Zelos Wilder." He mumbled under his breath. These words gave him strength even through the first hard years of his life when he wished to be dead, to run away forever. He knew he must not lose within himself and be hopeful no matter what lay ahead. That's what he had come to the trail for, right?

* * *

_"Dad, can we go hiking today?" Little and innocent Chosen asked his father. _

_The man did not answer. He stood there motionless like a statue until his own mother came up to the man, placed a comforting hand on her husband, and smiled in her own special way. Zelos watched silently until his father nodded and left the room. His elegant mother bended down to have eye contact with her son. His eyes darted up with curiosity._

_"Your father is the Chosen, Zelos, you know that. He's a very busy man." She spoke in his father's place. The disappointment on the little boy's face reflected his mood. Mylene spotted this. "On the other hand, I will take you. I promise." Zelos jumped with delight and hugged his mother tightly, something that their family did not do very often._

* * *

He slowly opened his eyes, knowing that the childhood memories would always remain in his mind and heart as long as he continued to live. Suddenly brought back to reality, he heard a scream from the distant road. This time fainter but too piercing so that he could not ignore. He broke into a sprint towards the owner of that voice. The sound was ringing through his ears as he dashed through the small amount of rain, which was increasing by the minute. A downpour soon enough, no doubt.

* * *

_Why am I so afraid of "Kuchinawa"? _The girl in the purple outfit asked herself, even thinking of the meanings of names at a time like this. True, it was no Mithos or Summon Spirits, but despite the small creature it was, she was still shaking at the thought of that slithering body across the ground just inches away from her. The picture of the scaly viper right behind her, twisting toward her immobile body and staring at her fragile back with its reptile eyes, caused her heart to race at an unprecedented speed. Its tongue flicked in a hiss from its fanged mouth as it shook its tail, emitting a rattle sound. She could hear it as well! The rattling was increasing in volume. What in Martel's name was she to do? Kill the creature? After not touching her weapons in years? 

"Ah-ha! Gotcha." Oh-no. The tone she knew too well.

With what little courage she could muster, she turned around with shaking legs that she could not keep still and quaking had seized her body. What if the snake was still there? Amazingly, she found no sign that there was ever a snake at all! Heaving out a sigh of relief, she thought she was safe until she lifted her attention to the person who was gazing at her, making some uncomfortable degree of flushness on her fair skin. Teasing blue orbs harassed her, and she found her voice soon again just from meeting the man again. He wore the same outfit and had the same appearance; there could not be any other explanation. It was her good old friend Zelos Wilder.

Indeed, he held one of his gloves with something moving inside it. Zelos smiled to see someone he knew and had not seen in some time. Most of all, he saw the uneasy attitude she displayed, adding an amused twitch to his lips. Perhaps there was some fun to be had after all. There she was, folding her arms across her midriff with _that_ look on her face.

"With all my luck, I met the hottest one of all to be my damsel in distress," he smirked. At least, some people never change.

"Oh, courageous Zelos Wilder who saved me from a snake. How heroic of you!" Sheena threw a handful of sarcasm into their conversation.

The philanderer chuckled heartily upon hearing that comment. Sheena will always be Sheena.

"To imagine, the same Sheena who was brave enough to take on millions of monsters with cards as her only weapon, was shaking when she saw a small reptile." A glint of amusement twinkled in his eyes as he added with reassurance, "don't worry though, I'm here."

The woman in front of him tapped her right foot in annoyance. He found it immensely pleasurable to be able to talk like this to his well-known friend and knowing how she would react. Truly, after spending all that time with this lovely ninja and not knowing what to say to her after all these years, it would be a shame to call him "The Great Zelos Wilder, Chosen of Tethe'alla". Not that he wanted to be a Chosen again.

"I felt better off with the snake actually," the summoner replied with a small smirk, hinting at her annoyance with her tone. After watching Zelos go "ouch, that hurts", she knew he still wanted to play along with their old patterns for their ways of conversation. "Now then, I guess I'll be going now. I'd better find Orochi before I completely lose my sense of direction and run into another idiot." She turned and continued her stroll, ignoring the small raindrops and the look on the former Chosen's face.

Peering up at the threatening clouds looming overhead, which seemed to thrust upward into the belly of the grey sky, he briefly mused over the fact that a storm was coming. The fiery male found it such a _lovely_ day to wander around the gorge by himself. Plus the fact that the road was slippery added to Zelos's prediction of what a _wonderful_ hike he had ahead of him already, and wished that the only place he had chosen to be in at that moment was the only place he fully recognized his bad judgement. Nevertheless, he found it pointless to head back now and leave himself soaked to the bone.

Knowing that she was probably farther up the trail now, Zelos merely shrugged at her attitude and freed the creature from his glove. The rattling began. He heard a small shriek, and started having images of Sheena being nervous because of a snake when he suddenly heard an awkward slipping sound. It wasn't what he thought it was… right? Now, it was time to sweat a bit.

Racing around, almost as fast as his heart was pounding at the moment, he tried hard to find any sign of the ninja he had met just moments ago. He was growing worried and was hoping with all his heart that she was okay. The heavy droplets continued to pelt on him, causing his snarled strands of hair to fall into his eyes. The wind was not helping either as it cut through his whole freezing body like an icy blade tilted with trouble. With concern pounding in his mind he could barely make out the voice. It was very faint, but he heard it at the bottom of the hill. He slid down carefully and saw the Mizuho lass sitting there, holding onto her right boot tightly.

He came up to her and the two of them made eye contact. The violet-flecked orbs with a glint of raven observed him, a stare sending a small shiver down his spine.

"Zelos… it's you again." She stated casually.

He wiped away some strands of hair from his eyes to get a better view of her. Annoyed at the fact that his hair was always in his eyes on rainy days he forced a small smile and lifted a curious brow at her statement.

Observing her, he could tell her delicate ankle was twisted (yes, even with boots covering up her ankle from his concerned gaze!) but everything else seemed to be fine. Slowly, trying not to seem too obvious, he elevated his gaze to the fine bone structure she possessed in her slender fingers. Though they were slender, they were not as silky or soft as the ones he had seen in Meltokio on all of his hunnies. Obviously, she had been training a lot lately despite the fact that the world was at peace. Still, he wanted to hold onto her hand to feel the touch of such a beauty instead of simply admiring it. However, he managed to subdue his urge for he knew Sheena a little bit too well. Sheena felt a deep flush of color appear on her cheeks when she caught his eyes staring at her open fingers.

Keeping her eyes content, she laughed mentally to see his so-called precious hair being so whipped up by the wind and soaked by the raindrops that it slashed into his face during the next few seconds.

At last, Zelos raised a question. "Did you find your precious boyfriend yet?"

"Boyfriend? You mean Orochi?" Zelos watched as Sheena's eyes filled with amazement at his simple question. Surprise was evident in her voice. Her lips were in the shape of an "huh?" which made a small addition to his smirk.

Zelos laughed. "Who else?" Sheena felt a warm blush creep into her cheeks at this assumption, probably even more crimson than before. Was Zelos implying something? She would have slapped him if she had the energy. It seemed the accidental slip had sapped the last vestige of her strength, making her feel a bit uneasy. Instead, she decided to turn her head away from him, making him frown. He took off his white headband, wiped his forehead, and peered up at the darkened sky once more. There was no sign of it clearing any time soon and the fact that it was really late right now made him. "We should find shelter… I know of a small shelter near here."

The Mizuho citizen suddenly raised her hand and stroked some raindrops on his cheek. He couldn't stop himself from holding her hand, stopping it from retreating from his cheek. Indeed, her hands could have been more lady-like. Next, he carefully stroked his fingers across the fragile bones on the back of her hand and his digits found their way up, inspecting the strong and slender fingers she processed. This was where he stopped, keeping her hand in place. The comfort he took in this simple gesture brought some warmth back to his bitterly cold body and face. Beneath his searching gaze, Sheena felt another blush stealing into her cheeks and was quite glad that Zelos was occupied so that he didn't catch this.

"My mom used to do this to me…" He spoke slowly and quietly.

Sheena staggered for a moment and did not know how to answer until a fierce blast of air flattened the top of her hair, making the strands of violet fly into her face. This was when she noticed that her hair had been damp all this time. The next thing she did was pulling her hand away from his face, seeing some disappointment on his features as she did so.

"Let's hurry." She got up to her feet, but stumbled to the hard grass beneath her again. Zelos saw this after blinking against the heavy droplets that had settled on him.

Leaning towards her, he caught her immediate attention. Here, their bodies were inches away from each other, and he could smell the fresh scent of her hair. Sheena could smell the laundry aroma from his clothes, which had probably been washed recently, and the masculine scent of him as well. Turning his back to her, he bent down, leaving his back for her to hop on to as Sheena stared at it.

"Is this a demand or request?" She questioned, raising a brow.

"Whatever, just go." Zelos instructed her.

First, she wrapped her arms around his neck and climbed onto his back. He held her legs tightly and took a step forward, knowing that she was light enough to carry. With one last confirmation, he started taking her to the nearby shelter. How soft and womanly she felt against him as she clasped his neck in a tighter grip when he started speeding up. This pleasure he derived from this experience gave him cause to wonder if he had been such a Casanova all his life that he had forgotten the decency of just being a gentleman to a young, beautiful woman within his gasp with no intention of forcing her to bed him.

As for Sheena, she didn't know what to believe. She left her head on his shoulder, feeling the warmth of his back and knowing that he actually knew what he was doing for once. She liked this feeling, something she did not admit at first. The way his strong back was against her was comforting, more than she had imagined it would be. This walk gave her time to relax and she took no notice of the pouring rain around her. Her heart grew light with relief from the day's walk as she flicked a wary glance at his face, so serious at that moment and not at all devious like it usually was. Her arms wrapped tighter around his neck, making him choke at first until she loosened them again. The feeling of being cared for… how much she missed it.

* * *

After a few more steps, they finally arrived at a house. Inside, the owner guided them to the only spare room he had left. Zelos sat down on the floor with some coffee near his side while the heater worked smoothly, filling the room with the warmth they needed. Moments later Zelos glanced over at the girl sitting on the corner of the bed with her legs dangling off the mattress. 

The redhead smirked clearly towards the girl, dragged his soaked clothes over his head, and placed them neatly on the bed frame to dry. The sight of a lean waist and bare chest unnerved Sheena from her senses for she could not remember ever seeing any half-garbed males before. Small droplets of water left behind by his clothes dripped down his torso as the ninja was conscious of her stare at his bold appearance, embarrassing herself but mesmerized enough not to look away. However, he could still hear her gasp from her place on the corner of the bed. He continued to pace in front of her and brought the redness to her cheeks. Sheena couldn't help but gave several glances at his open top. But whenever she saw him watching her, she returned her gaze to her leg.

"Are you hungry?" Zelos asked suddenly. She brought her attention away from her leg for the moment with serious eyes.

"No." Her one-word answer came and she returned to her quiet mood.

"Good, my voluptuous hunny." Zelos shot back. This shocked her and brought her attention back up at him almost immediately. Zelos smirked in triumph. "Because I only brought food for myself." Her face turned bright red. He could see out of the corner of his eyes that her fist tightened at this thought and the next thing she did was an attempt to hit him on the shoulder like always. Zelos feigned innocence with a sweet smile at his companion.

Unexpectedly however, she tumbled on the floor as the male climbed down the side of the bed to inspect his future hunny. Zelos halted abruptly beside Sheena; his glistering blue orbs inspected her leg for a few seconds, recalling her accident before they came to the safe roof to settle under. The summoner felt weak in his gaze, cringing at the thought of his judgment of her as a weak babe. She knew how it must look after shivering at the sound of a snake, having this fear of the small reptile, and fully expected Zelos to tease her more than she could handle. With her lack of attention on him, his eyes elevated to her curved hips and then to her well endowed chest but shot back down to where her ankle would be if it weren't for her boots covering it, after she glanced back at him. Zelos knew if he wanted to get out of this place in one piece, he had better avoid his temptations at all costs.

Then, without another word, he bent down and picked her up in his arms, alarming the Mizuho native almost immediately.

"Zelos! What in Martel's name are you doing? Put me down this instant!" Sheena gasped, outraged that Zelos had taken advantage of her when she let her guard down and that he had taken it upon himself to decide what was going to be done to her. Never in her life did she allow another man besides her Grandpa with enough courage to carry her, and even when her Grandpa had done so she had been a mere child.

The fiery redhead rejected her objections without a single ridicule. The way Zelos carried her in his arms with one arm holding her legs securely and the other holding the back of her neck, Sheena felt safe nonetheless. The more Zelos felt her shaking legs on top of his strongly muscled arms, the more he knew it would be better to put her down on the bed before she slapped him the minute he released her. Testing her weight, he noticed how light she was and certainly no burden to carry for any longer amount of time. At last, he placed his carrying victim on the soft bed in a slow and gentle motion, bringing a sign of relief to Sheena.

His eyes dipped toward her boots again, but clearly indicating her ankle, as if pointedly hinting to Sheena where his aim was at to free his name from the earlier misconception. Zelos was growing impatient.

"Let me see your ankle." Zelos growled in a low tone.

"No!" Sheena pulled her legs away from his sight towards the floor again and tried to make an escape to the door when the male caught her wrist and tugged her back to his side. To her surprise she found that he was quick.

Taking hold of her arm completely, he dragged her close to his shirtless top. Sheena found her heart thumping fast while her breathing hastened. More heat appeared on her pale cheeks, she remembered her small fantasies of her future husband wiping her reddened ankles with his fingers when she was young. Dismissing her slovenly fantasies, she reminded herself that it was Zelos who would do this deed for her and knew she should not grow prey to these useless daydreams.

The Chosen knew he must be careful when performing this action as he let go of her shoulders, regrettably, and knelt down before her for a better position. Even though she knew he was not up to no good, she was still leery at his advancements. Hastily, the fiery-headed male took off her boots, hearing a tiny gasp escaping the Mizuho beauty. He bent over to have a closer look at her ankle, finding it swollen with a huge cut slithering down the side. At least, it was not twisted. The former Chosen shook his head in dismay as he wiped the reddened skin in encompassing circles using his thumb on top of his red handkerchief. The female jerked at the sting and clenched her teeth, trying not to cry out. Tough personality, he reminded himself. Placing her small heel on his leg, he wiped around her ankle one last time.

After he finished, he returned his handkerchief to his pocket as Sheena touched her ankle lightly.

"Thanks." She mumbled to him. Now, her body was much more calm and she sat on the bed, staring out of the window.

Taking one last glance at his most wanted hunny of all, Zelos stood up and went to the bathroom to blow-dry his wet hair. Waiting for the footsteps to die out, Sheena calmed herself from the situation she was in right now and slowly relaxed at the touch of the smooth surface below her, pushing up against her to provide her drowsiness. It was a bed after all, Sheena mentally reminded herself. Leaning her head down a little, she listened with her senses to the rain that was so soothing to hear. The way a raindrop would waver down the windowpane brought a soft ring to her soul and a soft grin to her face. The droplets were as pleasing to view with the eyes, as they were to hear with the ears.

Her dry hair was bundled up on top of her shoulders, untied. The first thing she did when she came to a warm shelter for the evening was to dry her hair unlike some procrastinators. Hearing the quick-paced steps thundering their way towards her position, she felt the presence of the man next to her, sitting and staring at the same thing she was. Sometimes, she forgot that he had such a sweet side to him. The serious side she had encountered many times before, but she found him very moody just now. She knew him too well, too much for her own good.

The raindrops continued to drip down the windowpane while the two observers sat side by side. The only sound in the room was the sound of the rain pattering against the glass.

"Why do I find the sound of the rain so calming?" Sheena nearly whispered the question to the person by her side, unconsciously. He sat closer to her, hearing her slow breaths.

"Simple. Different people find different things soothing. For some people, it is staring at a painting while for others smelling flowers. For you, my darling, it is hearing the raindrops hit against the window. And for me, it is admiring my hot hunnies." The Casanova replied, carefully selecting his words for Sheena.

With his ending remark, he received another teasing smack on the shoulder from Sheena. "More like flirting."

Relaxing at the sound, she slowly closed her eyes and listened the beating sound of her heart and the raindrops. The two sounds seemed to be keeping a pattern with one another, as if understanding each other and making music for her ears only. The rhapsody continued on and on.

Taking another chance to admire this adored lass, the philanderer tilted his orbs to the corner of his sight and saw the ninja still, as if asleep for she was closing her eyes and breathing warmly. He grew wary of the respect he still held for his friend for his wandering hands, undeniably, had wanted her for years but he could never find the courage to do it. However, there was nothing stopping him from taking glimpses at her slender body with voluptuous curves as an addition to the offering for his feasting eyes as if this was his first meal in weeks. The hunger that lingered on in his face went on unnoticed and left him wondering what secret formula she always used to have this effect on him. What was the main ingredient in this meal that drew him ever so closer to her?

Softly, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, letting the ninja drop her head onto his shoulder and snuggle up to his chest. Inside, Zelos knew she did not know how close they were right now and if she were more conscious she would have given him a slap or two. He was never afraid of a challenge, especially with Sheena. Slowly, he lowered his chin on top of her smooth, silky hair and let himself cherish this moment forever. How much he wished he could just trap this moment into a small bottle and open it whenever he needed something to comfort him! Sighing to himself, he had to let go and take care of the ramen he was making. At the same time, he pulled on his dried shirt but he left the gloves untouched.

Inwardly, the Mizuho native had felt his presence the entire time but had decided not to say a word for she felt if she was to shout or smack the former Chosen, she might have disturbed the rare peace going on between the two of them. For a fact, she knew how much she had desired to know the warmth of the human body especially that of a man and had let herself indulge in her curiosity. Indeed, his chest felt hard against her back and yet, there was a sense of tenderness along with the other feelings and emotions. It felt grand. His arms, just minutes ago, had been dangling along her shoulders and for those few moments, she had caught the muscles pushing down upon her weaker shoulders. Making it gentler for her though, Sheena amazed herself by thinking that Zelos might actually be a man a while ago. The hardness of his chest against her slender back and the tough arms he processed had caused her to regret what she had missed out on having experiences with the opposite gender. But if she considered Zelos as a good example of the male gender for that small amount of time, then what had he been before? A half-man? Sheena jeered mentally with a small smirk of her own.

The former Chosen tried his best to keep his eyes on the coffee and ramen even though he knew someone was spying on him at that moment. After Zelos couldn't take it anymore, he turned around as Sheena withdrew her glance back to window and kept to her quiet self once more. The redhead flicked a questioning brow upwards and immediately observed a small glance back at him from the denied one. Sometimes, Zelos felt that she reminded him of someone, someone very dear to him. Sheena could be very outspoken, and at other times, she could be very secretive and kept to herself. Then, she could well be in denial. Maybe it was one of those times. He quickly poured the coffee into one cup and made a bowl of ramen for her, catching some of the steam on his face. Wrinkling his nose for a few seconds, he continued his task.

Steadily he held the bowl up in both hands, and walked towards her with a smile on his face. Her eyes observed him for a moment before they both sat on the floor to enjoy the rest of the evening they had together. She ate the ramen and gazed at him with his glass of alcohol. Something told her that there was a certain subject on his mind, holding him back from everything around him. His eyes were distant, he was off in his own world surrounding himself with clouds and keeping his thoughts hidden from the people around him so she could not see them, which made her feel anxious for no reason. What could have caused this? She surely did not know.

The awkward silence between them continued for neither of them wanted to talk about the simple and affectionate gesture they had shared before the window with sparkling raindrops nor the different shift of mood they were sensing from each other. Zelos found Sheena a bit too secretive today, not as outspoken as usual while Sheena found Zelos a bit too polite today, not as leery as usual. The difference in both of them was observed by each other and at the same time, they failed to see the changes in themselves. The sight of sadness filling in the depths of Zelos's usually happy eyes was reflected even more clearly from the flame ascending from the candles around them, which allowed Sheena to observe the former Chosen closely. Something must be done.

After finishing her ramen in taciturnity, she tried to lift the shady mood Zelos was in today. If he was not going to be the one to shake things off, then surely she must take his place for now. He had really tried to be himself, but she just didn't buy it. There was too much trying involved and with this attitude, she felt even more insecure around his presence. Knowing that he was still the dirty perverted man she remembered, she could at least taste the ramen he made for her from the care of their friendship rather than those of a stranger. She held the hot cup of coffee in her hands, carefully balancing it with her thumb and palm.

"Black…" She suddenly mumbled, drawing some attention to the other person.

"My mother, too, drank black coffee. Plain black coffee." Zelos revealed some sign of awareness at last, but left his eyes on his own glass.

The Mizuho citizen tilted her head to the side upon hearing this comment. His mother? She bit her lip. The situation seemed to just sink deeper.

"Love is like a cup of coffee, isn't it?" Zelos took his attention away from his drink and shifted it to her. This comment caught his attention.

"Sometimes it's cold and at other times, it's warm. If you leave it out for too long, a warm coffee can go cold. Just like love…" She continued her explanation, sounding like a teacher talking to a student.

"But like coffee, if you heat it up…it will be warm again. Also, coffee can be very addictive." Zelos added for Sheena, liking the direction the conversation was heading in already. "You can say the same thing about alcohol too. However much you try, you can't use logic to stop drinking it."

Sheena frowned for a second; thinking of something to continue with and, at the same time, feeling like winning another battle with the familiar former Chosen. This was what she wanted from the man. Just a smooth dialogue where it didn't end in a fight and become quite a challenge.

"Then, you really do want to have the courage… to get a grip of yourself and stop. You really want to have the courage to stop loving someone, but it's hard." The summoner spoke carefully.

Zelos looked down at the floor for what felt like a long time until he finally got up and forcefully smiled down at Sheena. "True… some things are just hard to forget as well." He sighed. Then, a grin appeared on his face suddenly. This time, it truly was a grin. "Then again, we just have to move on."

Silence.

Zelos murmured something under his breath but otherwise remained mute until he could find some other subject to turn to. "I guess it's dozing time. I really do need my beauty sleep, and I'm sure you do too." The summoner opened her mouth to reply when he interrupted. "I know I know, it's not good to sleep straight after dinner but I really don't care." He placed the glass on the floor.

Sheena continued to stare. At last, after she awakened from her little trance, she noticed for the first time since she'd been here that there was only one bed for both Zelos and herself. Zelos was now on the left side of the bed, sleeping on his side or at least, this was how it was until he felt the kicks. He opened his sleepy eyes, staring at a furious Sheena. This was going to turn out to be quite fantastic.

"What do you think you're doing?" She demanded to know, her hands placed firmly on her hips.

"Sleeping." Zelos decided to state the obvious.

The female rolled her eyes at this answer and jerked her head to the bed. "Where am I supposed to sleep?" Now, Zelos could definitely see the answer to that question the moment it left her lips. A perverted thought had entered his mind the moment he came into this room and found one bed. _If _the summoner had been more concerned with her surroundings, she would have noticed that but again, she had let her guard down. Not caring any longer, he rolled on the other side and left his back open as well as his face hidden from her stare of a thousand daggers.

"On the other side of the bed, of course. What's the matter with that? It's just like taking a mud boat and I, the Great Zelos Wilder, will take you through." She glared at him harder, knowing that he was just amusing himself.

What made her even angrier was the fact he wasn't even facing her with his declaration of challenge between two good friends, fighting for a bed. Sometimes, she didn't know how she could stand his attitude! One minute, they were so involved in each other's thoughts and emotions and the next, they didn't even have eye contact! Remembering all their old fights, she still couldn't figure out how both of them were still in one piece and able to stand to by each other. Then again, it had always been like this.

Her hands curled in fists beside her curved hips as her legs stood firmly planted on the ground, slightly apart, while her flaring eyes stayed on the idiot. Angry lines spread over her forehead, as she refused to hold back her growing temper. "Don't use that phrase!" The Mizuho girl repeated herself for what felt like the millionth time. "Off the bed!"

Zelos was about to argue with this outburst when he suddenly found himself on the floor with Sheena on top of the bed, replacing him. Sheena glanced down warily at Zelos on the floor with a small wave of goodnight before throwing him her blanket. He snuggled into the blanket and tried to sleep.

The warmth of the blanket left Zelos in a better mood than before, however, the wooden floor on which he had to sleep on was hardly to his liking. Peering up at the ceiling, the dark atmosphere brought a small shiver to his thoughts about what lay ahead of him. Most of all, he could not get the image of his dead mother out of his thoughts. How her golden flowing hair would always flow against her shoulders and how her lips were of a perfect rosy color. Thinking of his mother, who kept on separating herself from him, he always went back to Sheena, who also showed him how much she detested his presence. Why did he come to the gorge anyway? Was it the fact that he longed for the feeling he wanted to share with his mother? He knew so little about his parents, especially his father.

Heaving one last sigh, he closed his eyes and hoped for a pleasant morning when he woke up. However, sleep wouldn't come although he tried every method he could to go to sleep, even counting sheep.

"You stupid Chosen…" He heard Sheena mumble above him before he got up to see if she was asleep or not. Indeed, she, herself, was not asleep either. Even in the darkness, he knew she was glaring at him at the moment. "You always make me feel guilty, don't you?" She asked out loud, pressing her crossed arms across her chest.

"Haha, I knew you had a conscience in you." Zelos smirked.

After Zelos lit a candle, he saw Sheena holding her arms, which were covered with goose bumps, securely. Gritting her teeth together to keep them from chattering, Sheena made an attempt to stop her unnecessary shaking. Now, he really questioned whether she was guilty at all or if it was just the fact that she was freezing. Sometimes, he really didn't understand what was going on with Sheena. He had seen her sad side like the time after Corrine died. He had seen her angry side nearly every day. He had seen her happy side like the time he promised he would find a way for her village to live in Tethe'alla. He had seen many sides of Sheena, and they were all wonderful to him. However, there were times he just did not understand her at all.

The summoner suddenly flinched. Zelos caught this and wrapped the blanket she left him around her. She mumbled, "thanks." He turned his head toward the wall next to their bed and saw the shadows of the two of them. An idea came to him. The former Chosen started making a shadow of a swan on the wall, which he found the girl next to him liked. He then made one of a small bunny.

Small thoughts bottled up inside Sheena, leaving her playful side on view.

"I never thought I'd say this but can you show me how?" Zelos sat closer to Sheena without an answer and gently placed her fingers into the correct positions. She could feel redness reaching her cheeks exactly at the same time their hands touched. Zelos felt his heart racing to feel her smooth, long fingers over his strong ones. Breathing heavily, he regretted the moment he had to let go. At last, he finished as she smiled brightly upon seeing her own bunny on the wall.

The two bunnies hopped side by side until Zelos muttered slowly, "My mother taught me this." Sheena dropped her hand and turned to see Zelos looking down again.

Sheena tilted her head innocently. "What's your mother like? You seem to love her a lot." Zelos was shocked to see that someone actually wanted to know about his own personal life.

Heaving his shoulders upwards and giving his arms a bit more freedom, he frowned to see the embarrassment she was leading him into.

"That's not true!" He replied quickly. "We didn't know each other that well… The Great Zelos don't go around thinking about his mother all day!" Sheena laughed at this fake response.

"That's what you always say." The lass told him with a small twitch to her graceful lips.

Zelos sighed, "I didn't lie completely. I really didn't know her that well. My father… I knew him even less."

"And yet, anything you knew about your mother or learned from her, you remembered so well. She drank black coffee, she wiped your face like any mother would have, and she showed you lots of different things." Zelos shook his head, remembering how observant Sheena always been. Of all people to observe his hastened moments of remembrance, it had to be Sheena! The one most likely to make fun of him later on.

Despite his thoughts of letting the girl take advantage of this, he really did want to tell someone this, he always had this burden on his shoulders ever since he was young. Moreover, from the glistering purple steel forming in her eyes, he loosened up and knew he must comply. She was just so convincing. "But after my father left my mother, she was never the same again. We lost contact at that point."

Half-expecting Sheena to make fun of his remarks, he was quite surprised by her comforting answer, "I'm sorry to hear that."

Zelos shook his head again. "You shouldn't be. I guess it was for the best, I grew independent and look at me now, don't you think it was all worthwhile?" The tense atmosphere they had lifted with his added remarks as Sheena laughed.

"Actually, maybe you would have been better off with your mother." She joked and heard a bunch of retorts from Zelos like "what" and "that hurts". In the end, Sheena said quietly, almost to a whisper, "At least you had parents who loved you…"

Zelos stopped his comments and turned to Sheena with curious orbs. "What did you just say, my violent banshee?" The guardian just shook her head like nothing had happened. She didn't want Zelos to know, but ever since she had returned back home to Mizuho, she wanted to know who her true parents were. They were really alike in a way, not knowing their parents too well. One day, Sheena promised herself, she would tell him. For now, it was best not to ruin his better mood with her past.

"Goodnight, Zelos." Sheena broke the silence and blew out the candles. He saw that she was lying on one side of the bed, hinting for him to go ahead and lay on the other. Zelos found Sheena and his mother alike in many ways, aside from the touch and the black coffee. Parting his curly strands of fiery hair with his quick hand, he sat down on his side of the bed and glanced at the Mizuho citizen for a few seconds, taking in her beauty that he adored. Her astounding looks left him with a good image of women when he first met her years ago, before he met any of the others beside the President or Duke Bryant. The way she breathed when she slept amused him greatly, it was as if she was adorned with a smooth kiss of beauty, leaving him with the impression of a perfect specimen of another human being. Of course, he reminded himself, she was behind him in the looks and talents departments.

* * *

Sheena was not the type of person who enjoyed waking up late in the morning, so close to the afternoon. How much she loathed sleeping until so late! Furthermore, the noisy steps of people outside her door before she was fully conscious were definitely a rude awakening in her books. The summoner took a wary glance to her side, finding her friend missing from his spot and finally rose up to a full awareness. The sunlight beaming into the room brightened her surroundings as well as her sight. It became evident to her how abashing it must be for her to still be sleeping while Zelos, who had lived in a mansion all his life, had awoken before she had. She decided it was best not to stay in bed even if it would have been pleasant to leave him waiting for her arrival. 

After pulling on a pair of boots, she stopped midway on her way outside to bend down and examine her injury from the day before. She found it still there, it would have been sticking out if it wasn't for her boots, but more pleasing to the eye and wasn't half as bad as it had been the day before. For a moment, she laid her fingers on top of the red mark and felt a feeling of pain cut through her like a sharp knife. The thoughts of the day before when Zelos had his hands on her ankle made her suddenly feel uneasy and even nervous. When did she become so timid? Now that she had no use for weapons except for her training, she felt defenceless. If it weren't Zelos, someone she knew well, would she let another man be in his position at that precise time? Or was it the fact that she was growing weak from the peace the worlds gave her.

One thing that Sheena wished never to speak of in front of his face was the fact that she had actually wanted him to care for her like he did last evening. Daylight had been breaking through the mist of darkness for more hours than she could imagine and yet, here she stood and admired her healing skin. Hastening to make up for her lost time, she yanked her boots back on, having taken them off to examine her ankle. The twittering of the birds before the sun provided motivation for her to get herself out of the door.

After finding her way to where Zelos was standing, Sheena chose to remain silent and observe the male who was standing ever so still and staring off into the horizon at the sight of the sun moving over the hills. Desiring to move closer, Sheena grew timid and took a few steps forward, closing the gap between them. As Zelos continued to watch he thought about how his mother had lied to him. They were supposed to go hiking! Now there was only him left to remark upon the fragrance of the thin air at such high elevation and the adventure of absorbing the rays. His hatred grew with more thoughts of his father who chose to ignore him as if he was invisible.

Rolling his shoulders while muttering a curse, the male spotted the disappearing sun and caught the clouds forming overhead. Throughout all this, Sheena reached for his arm with shaking hands. Despite her intentions to remain unseen, she could only assume he would have spotted her presence by now. However she didn't dare hastened her pace.

Swallowing the pain in her throat, she spoke clearly, "Zelos, are we going to stay here all day or what?"

He flinched slightly, and she assumed he had heard her outburst. Zelos turned around to face her, confirming her assumption. Those blue orbs with a glint of white light observed her from top to bottom, as if he was meeting her for the first time, and nodded to show a sign of acknowledgement.

"Only if you want me to," Zelos replied in a seductive tone with an addition of a small smirk on his lips and an elevation of his brow. Claiming her attention, he drew her into his spell with the simple words he had spoken.

This reply disarmed Sheena completely and prompted a plethora of angry responses.

"Stop fooling around!" she snapped. All of a sudden, Sheena stopped and smiled. If it weren't for the fact that he was completely back to normal, she wouldn't have lowered herself to be glad of his words. "I already got what I want."

With a puzzled face, the former Chosen took a step toward her. "And what would that happen to be, my violent banshee?"

Ignoring his crude remarks for now, the summoner walked around him and glanced at him from top to bottom while keeping her expression utterly defined by his question. "Just a Casanova I know."

Zelos casually smiled at her little observations like he was a fine experiment to be explored. If she were a typical girl he had picked up from the streets, he _would _have been explored. How much he loved being himself again! But he must admit, most of the credit had to go to this delicate creature beside him for returning him to a firm and confident mood again. Yesterday, all the time he had spent with her was worthwhile, lifting his mood instantly. There was, fortunately, some time left before he must depart from her and he hoped to make good use of this time. How long had it been since he last met her anyways? Probably four years at least, and he wasn't going to make her leave in a bad temper.

"My violent banshee... you shouldn't judge me too harshly since you haven't changed one bit either," Zelos sneered, making Sheena furious and causing her to begin a tapping rhythm with her foot again.

"How nice of you to point out!" Sheena retorted, her tone emphasizing the word 'nice'.

She moved her eyes away from the man, who was giving her a probing gaze, and she was expecting him to say something in reply. Considering all the conversations that they had had before, Zelos could hardly control himself from continuing another of their arguments. Seriously, he never got over the fact of how much he loved to tease this summoner! Considering his mood, right now, though, he didn't feel like giving in to his temptations like he had done before. Probably it was also the fact that the two of them had grown too old for their own good. Four years sure had made a difference to both of them.

"It's getting late," Zelos turned his head away from her view, "we'd better get moving."

Then he rose and stepped away from her side as she felt herself pause in suspicion at his strange words that were still ringing in her ears. She had expected something else, something less pleasant but he had given her a respite. The words still dazzled her since they seemed so unreal compared to what she was used to hearing. She found she had little time to deal with these unexpected moods he kept throwing at her and spent the remainder of her energy and concentration to chase after him.

Zelos decided to take a "short-cut" down the gorge and, unexpectedly, she did not protest. She wanted to get back to safe ground and away from all the slopes, leaving her with no reason to argue with his suggestions. Even so, she could not keep her thickly lashed violet eyes off his moving figure in front of her. In an effort to redirect her thoughts to something less humiliating than staring at Zelos all day, she sought to turn her memories to those old childhood memories she treasured so dearly. In guiding her flashback to a recent one, she could not concentrate when the idea that her real parents had taken no part in any of it invaded her thoughts. This thought pained her dearly and she opened her eyes to get the unpleasant thoughts out of her head.

Panting severely for a few seconds, the former Chosen was startled by her sudden reaction as he turned his head from side to side as if expecting some viper to scare the young woman when he turned his back to her. "Nervous, my beloved hunny?"

Shaking her head at his question, Sheena swept a quick hand over her pounding heart. "N-nothing."

Zelos raised an eyebrow, he did not believe her answer, but he shrugged. What could he do? Just as swiftly as he turned around, a tense feeling built up in the depths of his pride. What had caused him to become such a loser? Caring for other people! The Zelos of the past would have spoken nothing like the way he was about to speak.

"Sheena... can you be honest with me for once?" The words came tumbling out before he could stop himself. It was hard for him to say such caring words to another person, especially one he felt such a great attraction towards. The way he showed attraction for someone else was by teasing, and Sheena might not have caught onto that fact yet.

"I really want to but..." Sheena hesitated. "This something I would like to keep private for now, if that's okay with you." The summoner carefully chose her the words, trying not to offend Zelos in any way.

From the expression on the redhead's face, she knew she had done a good job in accomplishing that task. He had managed not to grow curious at the secrets behind the woman's back without her approval. He knew better than to mess with a girl who had been panting moments ago without any logical reason for doing so. Surely, it's not fatigue.

"I'm just trying my best to help you. If you don't want to, then that's fine with me. It's none of my business anyway." Zelos knew by saying those words, he was really lying to himself since he was really interested in her private life.

Sheena saw right through his masquerade and heard the lie behind those words. "And today, the sun rises in the east."

A small smirk appeared on Zelos's face when he heard those words. "Actually, my voluptuous hunny, today is not the day when the sun rises in the east but the day after the spring and autumn equinox. You, my banshee, should know that."

Her burning cheeks gave him the pleasure of being right for now before her next outburst. "You're just making that up!"

Somehow, it flattered him to hear her say that. After he had checked over the notes all his hunnies had taken for him during his school days, a few days before setting out to go hiking, he was fully aware of what he just said and hadn't made the information up. Though he couldn't have been happier that he had found such a valuable piece of information to contradict Sheena with, and the moment of being right seemed something to be treasured to him. This was because Sheena was _always _right. "Sorry to disappoint you."

All Sheena could manage in way of reply was to dismiss her comment. "It was just an expression, you don't have to be so serious all of a sudden!"

A deepening burn appeared on Sheena's cheeks, caused by Zelos leaning towards her slightly and commanding her full attention to be drawn to his dazzling blue marbles. The former Chosen stared directly into her widened eyes and breathed his answer dangerously, "I thought you liked a serious man."

Her breath came slowly and her legs shook beneath her, Sheena gulped and pulled herself together into a position she was easier with. The position where she found she could get some air without any idiot Chosen blocking the way. Sheena waved her hand in dismissal of his suggestions or intentions. Desiring to not face Zelos directly, Sheena set her mind to another subject.

"Zelos, has anyone ever told you how sad your figure looks whenever your back is shown?" She changed the subject completely.

"Not to my knowledge." Zelos rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Why?"

"Just to let you know." Sheena said with a grin, now taking the lead as Zelos skipped to catch up to her. It was one of his precious privileges to be the leader and he wasn't going to let Sheena ruin it for him, no matter how striking she looked.

* * *

As the two of them walked along the slopes of the grassy hillside, luck was not at all on their side as raindrops startled to splash onto their clothes once more. Although both of them were not at all surprised at the sudden change of weather since it was that time of the year when rain would just suddenly come pouring down unexpectedly even when it had been sunny that morning. Sheena remembered the last time it had rained so much in two days that she had concluded that she would never ever walk outside during those days again after she'd spent a week with fever in bed. A shower, a much-needed summer one, had started as the two sprinted to the nearest shelter. 

The place they finally ended up in was very familiar to the Mizuho native; for this was the place she had fallen after trying to assassinate Colette for the first time. A brief glimpse around the place brought a little shiver to Sheena's spine, falling down a pit wasn't actually an experience she wanted to remember. Zelos urged her to enter the shelter before the two of them became soaked from top to bottom again. Her only answer was a sour look for it greatly pleased her to disobey his orders, or anything else he said, before walking in. Of course, Sheena mentally groaned to need shelter from this place again.

Sheena stood there for what felt like forever, trying her hardest not to peer up at the male to her right. Once they reached the bottom of the slopes, she would have to say good-bye to him and somehow, this was the last thing she wanted to do. She was unconscious of her needs before, but she really did miss talking to someone who could make her mad or glad. During the last two years in which she had gone on with her life through training to be a ninja clan leader, she missed her conversations with the group of eight travelling companions. The way they would notice her little frowns or her little smiles had been touching. How much she missed those days!

Staring out into the distance, the raindrops splattered on the grass and into Zelos's memory. The last time he remembered the droplets falling from the heavens so suddenly was from a few years back when he met a certain young lady under the same shelter he was in now near the bridge in Tethe'alla. Gazing directly at Sheena, who at that time wasn't paying attention to him, he knew that lady was right here, next to him. How fate messes with one's head!

* * *

_Darting to the nearest tent on the side of the bridge, the Chosen of Tethe'alla wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and was amazed by his quick escape from the drizzle. Sighing with his good fortune, he knew he would be late to Sybak today because of the unexpected weather. It had rained yesterday too! He hadn't bothered to bring his umbrella this morning; it had been as sunny as any summer's day. The researchers had said that he must be there on time today, for he was a slacker when it came to punctuality. _

_Smoothing out his fiery hair with his fingers, he was trying to untangle some loose ends when he heard swift splashing coming toward him. He lifted his eyes and met a girl, around his age or younger, with slick purple hair tied up behind her head, letting her hair spread out like a fan. The young girl was trying to smooth her clothes removing some wrinkles left behind from the rain and her fast run. The female's violet eyes flared with fiery indignation when she saw him observing her from top to bottom._

_"What do you want?" She asked, impatiently._

_"Oh, beautiful maiden, have we met before?" Zelos asked with a small bowing gesture. _

_"I don't think so. For if I had, I would remember you." The girl answered, rolling her eyes in irritation._

_No matter how many times he had hit on a girl, he had found this one quite interesting, more so than any other and he wondered if his search for love might finally come to an end. "Raindrops are like tears aren't they?"_

* * *

"Raindrops are like tears, aren't they?" Sheena asked, tilting her face to meet his. Zelos sharply came back to reality and realized what he had barely heard, adding a small innocent twitch to his smile. 

"You remembered, my hunny." Zelos commented and got the same gesture as before.

Sheena couldn't help but be upset by his nicknames for her. Why didn't he do that with the other girls around him? They didn't get nicknames like violent banshee or voluptuous hunny. Stepping back a step from her current position, she flicked the "do-not-call-me-that" look and he, in turn, ran over and caught her arm playfully. She jumped in surprise and sprinted deeper into the underground environment, hoping to lose track of the male. Much to her delight, he was nowhere in sight or at least, for the next few minutes before he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. His embrace made her catch her breath in quick snatches and then she quickly struggled out of his arms and ran in the opposite direction to lose him again.

By the time they had finished their chase, Sheena was at the edge of the entrance and saw the sky was bright and clear. The downpour had cleared up. Soon after they had departed again, the Mizuho citizen immediately saw the herb she was looking for and dashed towards it, going uphill once again. By the time Zelos got his eyes adjusted to the new light of the sun, Sheena was already too far up the slope for him to catch up with in five minutes. This was going to be a problem since he was to be needed by her within five minutes time. The next thing he heard was a dim shriek. His heart thumped loudly and rapidly as he tried to close the gap between them.

Hot blood surged through his veins when he caught sight of the serpent, a different one apparently. The snake was of an icky green color, hissing and twisting as it moved on its stomach towards the girl. The reptile's yellow eyes were fixed on her and its head shot forward, causing Sheena to let out a frightened scream. Shuddering, she struggled to reach her deck of cards in her clothes and hated herself for not bringing them with her. Sure, there were no more monsters but there were still snakes! She was clasping her right hand tightly over the top part of her left arm, feeling something dripping down the sleeve of her clothes and into her gloves. The heavy trickle of blood spilled all the way down to her fingertips.

Zelos shouted her name in an anxious tone when he saw her sprawled helplessly on the ground while the snake tried to make a jump towards her. The male stomped his foot on the ground, getting the snake's attention as its small head turned to face him. It turned abruptly and made its way toward Zelos. With the snake striking towards him now, he leaped out of the way and carefully took out a dagger. The viper continued to eye him with hunger, trying to find a weak spot to sink its fangs into his skin. Before it found a suitable spot, Zelos made a dash towards it and brought the blade down into its skull and pinned its entire body to the ground. Its scaly body stopped moving. Zelos let out a sign of relief before he set his eyes on the unnerved lass, who was still trembling.

Sheena's breath eased with relief when she saw Zelos coming towards her. What struck Zelos as kind of funny was that Sheena must have forgotten her cards for she would have sent the reptile on its way if she had had them with her. The actions he performed for her surprised him since he hadn't touched his dagger or any of his swords for years. The skills he used on that creature brought him some pride because he hadn't forgotten them. Grinning, he mentally reminded himself that it was just a snake he had killed and that shouldn't give him too much pride. Even so, he was quite happy with himself and for Sheena's sake as well. Though, he was totally amazed at how worried he was when he thought Sheena was in some sort of danger.

Clutching one hand to her beating heart and the other to her arm, Sheena chewed her lip as she eyed the former Chosen walking towards her. Nervously Sheena continued to sit still there with no words to reply to his stare with. An abundance of emotions swept over Sheena for she was not as strong as she used to be and the pain in her left arm distressed her.

Pausing beside his friend, Zelos saw the blotch of red on Sheena's sleeve and noticed two small dots there as well. Liquid continued to drip from Sheena's slender fingers, making Sheena very pale and Zelos very upset. Without asking for permission, he lunged towards her and pulled her dark purple gloves off. She was still silent and violently shaking. Awkwardly, he ripped her sleeve off and saw that those two small dots that he had seen earlier were actually marks left by snake fangs. This was the second time Sheena had been caught off-guard with the viper and Zelos knew this was the worst case ever.

With no other option available to him, he took a deep breath and placed his soft lips onto her skin. This caused Sheena to jump. She was not expecting him to do this at all. Sheena raised her gaze hesitantly to where Zelos was, and where his eyes were focused on the spot where the snake had bitten her. She felt she should say something but she could not find her voice to say anything at all. Zelos took a deep breath before sucking some blood from her and spitting it into the grass next to him. Her skin against his lips was as soft and silky as he had imagined it would be. In addition to that, it was sweet to taste as well. If it weren't for the circumstances, he would have enjoyed this moment.

The moment dragged on with Sheena watching the man and Zelos using his mouth to remove the poison from her arm. She was grateful for what he did but at the same time was worried. Fully remembering what her Grandpa told her, he shouldn't be doing this because the poison could affect him as well. The sympathy in Sheena's amethyst orbs was obvious when Zelos finally finished his task and looked up at her. The silence continued.

However, one of them was determined to break it.

"My violent banshee, you sure attract snakes!" Zelos joked. Sheena was not in the mood for his remarks.

"It's obvious that I am damp from the rain... that attracts them." She stopped as he wrapped his red handkerchief over the spot where she had been bitten. Heaving a shaky sigh, Sheena noticed for the first time that Zelos was the one getting pale and his lips were touched with a blue hue. "Zelos, are you okay?"

Zelos laughed slowly. "Of course, a little poison won't slow me down!"

Contradicting what he had said, his eyelids started to droop and he felt like heaven was descending upon him, taking him away from this world and bringing him to a better place until Sheena shook him hard and made him look directly at her.

"Zelos, can you hear me?" She inquired, her tone full of concern.

Zelos waved drowsily and replied, "Sure, sure, my voluptuous hunny..." His voice was so soft and unreal. That was when he drifted from consciousness completely.

* * *

_Gazing at his mother's steady form, Zelos had never seen his mother so depressed before. Her eyes were as red as his hair and her shaking hand was held tight to her sleeve. The sound of the squeaking door accompanied the harsh wind that travelled indoors, but what was worst was that his father was gone. His mother seemed distant and didn't even close the open door. It was as if everything around her was of no importance and all she wanted was for his father to stop his walk in a halt and return to them with open arms. This did not happen however. The man continued his walk in the open rain, never looking back at the mother or the son._

_Zelos finally found the courage to make his way through the hall and closed the door to stop the wind that was freezing him. Breathing a sigh of grief, the boy could make out how crushed his mother was to receive this news of his father's departure. He saw the way his father looked at his mother, with no love or kindness, but he never imagined his father would leave his mother to take care of him by herself! With a low moan of sadness, his mother walked away from him and into her room, going up the steps. The way she moved as she climbed, she had such a graceful elegance about her that he would have thought of her as a lady._

_Outside the room, Zelos silently opened and peeked in the door. His mother stood in front of her window, staring after his father still. _

_"Will I ever arise from this dark abyss? Where the goddess took me to roam in the kingdom of loneliness and dusk. Will the sun ever return after this long eclipse?" His mother whispered out the song to no one in particular._

_"How many times I heard her voice. In the twilight I heard her song. She fell in tears." His mother paused. Zelos didn't dare breathe or move. He knew this song well. It was the song his father sang to himself whenever he stayed up late. "I'm a prisoner, a leaf caught in a whirlwind. Leave me alone! O dark voice of a fatal hate and endless pain! How many times I asked my blade to save me from these chains?"_

_"How many times I heard her voice. In the twilight I heard her song. She fell in tears." Zelos was curious as to who this 'she' was since it was not his mother. It was another woman, but who could it be?_

_"Why did you foolish men leave her secrets buried in the heart? Why did you call her loser and liar?" His mother wiped her dampened cheeks with her red handkerchief and tried hard to control her tears. "How many times I heard her voice. In the twilight I heard her song. She fell in tears." _

_The boy couldn't take it anymore and ran down the stairs._

* * *

The cutting noise caused the male of noble upbringing to wake up with an annoyed shake of his head. By the light coming from the entrance, it was a late hour, indeed, before Zelos fully realized how long he had lain on the ground, and became completely alert to what actions Sheena was taking right now. It seemed she hadn't left him alone and had stayed with him the entire time he was unconscious. By slow degrees, he pulled himself up to a standing position and received the attention of the one who took care of him. 

For a time, all the two did was stare at one another, neither willing to speak first. Sheena found it better to continue her work and took her attention somewhere else. Zelos clasped his hands together and tried to recall what happened before he had lost consciousness. Although, the memory was blurry, he could still recall Sheena turning pale from the poisonous venom of the snake that had bitten her and he, who at the time was out of his mind, helped her. Why would he do something like that? That was the main question swirling inside his head. He had been arrogant and selfish for as long as he could remember. When Sheena needed him, he was right there to help her. He couldn't understand his own concepts of "helping". Why had he endangered himself like that?

Sheena stopped cutting and hummed thoughtfully for a few seconds before singing softly, "How many times I heard her voice. In the twilight I heard her song. She fell in tears."

When Zelos heard those particular lyrics from his father or mother's song, he jumped and moved swiftly toward the summoner, who was still singing the next line. Zelos grabbed hold of her arm tightly and jerked her body to face him. His body was so close to her that it made her quite nervous along with his touch. This caused her to heave a gasp as well. His teary vision blinded him from the sight of Sheena and his mother took her place. The vision of that night his father left him flashed before his eyes, remembering that song. That symphony of loss and despair, dedicated to Seles's mother, was played once more. Nothing held him back and all he could do was hold her arm, hoping for something to happen. Nothing happened. His mother was gone, his father was gone, Seles's mother was gone, everyone was gone and nothing could bring them back.

Amazed by his harshness and sudden gaze, Sheena watched at him closely and noticed the teary brightness in those blue marbles but she hurriedly stepped away in a long awkward silence. There was something about him that scared her but she couldn't put her finger on it.

Hoping he hadn't disturbed her with that sudden gesture, Zelos looked away in embarrassment and spoke quickly to distract the attention from that situation. "Sorry, thanks for keeping me company," he mumbled under his breath.

Sheena nodded and took no notice of the fact that her jaw was still dropped in reaction to his earlier action. Zelos saw this and used his index finger to lift her jaw into place, causing some redness to form on her cheeks. After this, Sheena answered indifferently, "No problem. I guess the herb worked after all."

This really caught Zelos's curiosity. "Herb?"

Sheena directed his attention to the leaves in her hands by lifting them up. "I went to the gorge to get this herb after asking the Elder at Heimdall about it on behalf of the villagers of Mizuho. It cures poison, and some illnesses."

Zelos grabbed one of the delicate leaves into his hand and peered at it with interest. He turned it from back and forth, considering the fact that this herb had saved him from the poison he caught earlier from saving Sheena. "Then... your villagers..." When Zelos started talking, Sheena slowly shifted her head away.

"I already thought about that. When I saw the herb, I knew others had been picked so I would assume Orochi got the rest for our village. No need to worry." Sheena reassured him, knowing what he was thinking. Zelos let out a sigh of relief to hear this. He didn't want to be responsible for the death of her village or anything.

"I know you're behind because of me. We should really get out of here already before your boyfriend comes looking for you." Zelos said with a small smirk on his lips, which were a dark red once more.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Sheena shrieked, gripping her hands across her chest to her arms.

"Whatever you say, my violent banshee."

Sheena followed Zelos towards the door, wondering if there was still anything hidden between the two of them since he had grabbed her seconds ago without giving her any warning. And what about those tears she saw in those eyes? He seemed distracted now so she thought it better not to ask. It had been some time since they'd been together and that made Sheena feel ashamed for not saying this earlier.

"Zelos!" she called out.

Pausing at the entrance, Zelos came to a halt and turned around. "Something wrong, my voluptuous hunny? Not another snake, is it?"

Ignoring his question, Sheena caught up to him and stared up into those amazing ocean coloured orbs. She never thought she would be sincere to Zelos, even years from now, but she felt she owed it to him. "Thanks for saving me earlier. I owe you my gratitude."

Behind a quick smile, Zelos breathed a sign of relief. "Is that all? The way you were acting, I thought you needed something else!"

Sheena managed to laugh after all this time, hiding her amazement. "No crude remarks?"

Zelos responded with a chuckle. "Don't worry, I'll get back to my old self in no time. For some reason, I think there is still some poison stuck in my brain somewhere..."

Poking a finger to his chest, Sheena smiled. "Idiot. Poison doesn't go to your brain, not any kind that I know of anyways."

Zelos feigned innocence with a small frown of his own. "Hunny, can't you let me be smart again? Or brave? Just for today?" Sheena thought he was actually pleading with her in his special way. Yet she was glad he was back to normal and this was clearly the case from his behaviour right now.

Catching a glimpse at Orochi standing just a short distance away from them, Sheena knew it was about time that she ought to be getting back to Tethe'alla. In her heart, she knew she would miss the former Chosen dearly after today. She couldn't help but remember those single moments of caring he gave her when he wiped her ankle or sucked the poison out of her arm. Thankful for such a journey in the gorge, she smiled brightly.

They continued walking in silence. Zelos shot Sheena another pleading glance along with a whining whimper.

Sheena sighed, "Okay, just for today, my hero."

* * *

**Ending Notes: **Yay, I finished the first chapter of this fic! I never start to write a fic with no clue where in the world it's going, so like always, I will tell you how many chapters this will be. It's going to be… five chapters. Pretty short huh? Well, this fic is a bit of a writing exercise to help me maintain my so-called "writing mood". Just thought I'd try it out and see what you guys think. I'll update this once in a while to help my "writing mood". One last thing, like I said before, I worked really hard on this with check-ups and frequent rewrites so hopefully, you'll leave a review right? Sis Samuu (love ya!) also worked extremely hard on beta-reading this chapter a lot too. You'll give us credit right? Just a simple review. No review, no cookie. I haven't got a single flame in the ToS section, so you want to be my first, you're welcome to do so. I would merely ignore the ignorance of it all okay? Thanks! 

**Few Explanations: **This is post-game fic (like many other multi-fics) and the world is really at peace, so there will NOT be any fighting scenes. The snake scenes were probably the closest to a fighting scene. There will not be any monsters/enemies involve and most inhabitants never touch their weapons again. Sheena doesn't even carry her deck of cards around anymore. This fic is dealing with the love between a man and a woman, but a big emphasize on family love as well (Hint: Mylene). There will not be really any type of "game crisis", but further involve in others like human emotions. Moreover, the other seven characters of the group will not be in the storyline. But there will be references. I'm sorry if Sheena was a bit OOC but she is human and she must be afraid of something right? It's just the same with spiders and me. Last thing, for all of you who read my fics, you might have already caught on to this but I love writing the more serious side of Zelos than the other one... just thought I should mention that.

**Questions**: When in the world am I going to update Insights? Hiatus… really sorry! How about ASL (A Separate Link)? Soon… I hope. Just lacking motivation! May you write my name in the Sheelos Lovers list? Of course, as long as you have an account or in other words, no anonymous. Sorry. Joining the Sheelos Community? I was easy on it before but now, as long as you love Sheelos and have at least, one fic on it, ask me and I'll send you a verifying note to join. Don't sweat, current staff members, I won't kick you out.


	2. A Pleasant Echo

**Note to Readers: **Well, this fic reached its anniversary a few weeks ago so I thought I should update it. Thank you all so much for reviewing this fic. I am very touched by all the long and wonderful reviews each and every one of you has left for the first chapter. I am tempted to reply to all of you through e-mail but I guess that wouldn't be an option after a year of absence. I am dreadfully sorry for my overly absence, it was because of my retreat back to my world of fiction. I am back and I hope this chapter is better than the first. Thank you!

**Summary: **One never knew who her parents were while the other wished he had known his parents better. Through a flock of black ravens, they found each other and a place in their own worlds. (Sheelos, angst, fluff)

**Thank-you: **Cardmaster372, Bakuraluver4ever, The Zelda Master, A fan, Becki, FireEdge, Lil-Samuu, Sabriel41, SweetMisery430, Freakyleaf, Susan, KyraValo, Ilvinaeda, sylenis, Michelle of the Night, the-key-of-the-twilight, Princess KoKo, Trickssi, Morphine D., and Muzella for reviewing. **_Please check the reviews for my reply to all of you_**. It seemed everyone had their own favorite part in the last chapter. I'm glad for the variety! And also, thanks to all those who kept Sheelos alive while I was away!

**Dedication: **Maternal Grandmother in honor of her memorial day a week ago. This day gave me the idea and inspirationfor Zelos's mother. Thank you so much wherever you are!

* * *

_**I like walking in the rain, cause no one knows I'm crying.**_

_**-Anonymous**_

**_Crying Without Tears_**

_**Chapter II: A Pleasant Echo**_

_**By Rose-Wisteria**_

The ninja garb fell into untidy pile on the floor, discardedby the one who lowered her aching body into the water. After a long day of training in the fields, when she had managed to plow through the rain, enduring her last hour of work by keeping in her mind thoughts of a warm bath and meal, she sighed contentedlyand planned to enjoy it to the fullest. Slowly and gently she closed her eyes and lay back against the rim of the tub. The heat from the water seepedthrough her tired legs as well as to her arms. She would never give this up.

Only a few moments had passed before some forgotten thoughts found their way into her mind. Without so much as a warning they came in a rush resulting from being left behind during the day while her mind was occupied with work. Amazingly she seemed to be seeing the former Chosen in the corners of her mind. She did not know how she was to relax during the hours that must pass before her dark eyes placed on his visage again.

The summoner remembered so well his strange behavior around her. Suddenly, she knew not why, at the recollection of his lonely shadow and hardened frown she was seized with a charge of the emotion of sadness. She thought of the way that he had turned around to her when she had approached him that morning in the gorge. She thought of the time when he had held her hand tight to his face as if frightened at the thought of losing it. And last of all, she thought of the fallen form that had slowly fallen into her knees when he hadsucked the poison from her.

The last memory was the most torturous by far. The fact remained that in that very situation she had found herself in, she was helpless and he was not. She frowned unpleasantly. With all her strength she recalled struggling against the fear building inside her trembling body until she fell down powerless and in defeat against the snake. It did not seem that the viper was at fault at all in making her suffer the uneasiness of this memory though. After those events she remembered clearly his help and now she finally realized her distress.

In return for sucking out the poison for her he had received a serious blue hue to his lips and then, darkness. It was then that she had felt that some strange force had seized her beyond her control which made her heartbeat increase at an unbelievable because he had fallen into unconsciousness. The ninja cursed herself since she had given in to the weakness of her heart, the weakness that demanded that she cared for him. The whole thing was her fault. If she hadn't been so weak, he wouldn't have had to rescue her like that. He wouldn't have put himself in danger like that!

This was exactly the precise moment that her head snapped out of her thoughts. The truth came to her at last. She cared about his safety above hers. She cared about Zelos more than she cared about herself. There was no doubt about it. She was still in love with him. After many years of yearning and pain she was still where she started. It was incredible.

Directing her attention to something less troubling than those unwanted memories, Sheena glanced about her. The flames from the scented candles did little to erase the abundant shadows of the room and the steam from the bath seemed to lower the mood of the room even more than the darkness. Sheena's spine stiffened when her eye caught onto something red right next to the soap. Sheena could not help inquiring as towhy such an item would be in such a place. Convinced she was somehow out of her mind, Sheena quickly wrapped a soft towel around her body and peered more closely at the mysterious item.

As she lowered her head and busily scanned the red cloth she didn't give any attention to the candle burning right next to her. Briefly Sheena glimpsed a large embroidered 'Z' in the midst of red before she jumped a few feet in the air at the realization of that she had been slow to pay attention to her senses and so had allowed the candle to burn her. Impatiently she used the red handkerchief on her red skin and half cursed at her lowered guard.

The dim light from the sun outside must be fading from the sky right now. Violent gusts of wind battered against the top of the house and the far windows. There were probably leaves flying all over Mizuho right now.

Sheena frowned. Miraculously, the pain of being burned suddenly ceased to exist and the appearance of a small scar resurfaced on her pale skin. Touching the mark lightly she opened her mouth to let out an "ouch" before she paid any attention to the red handkerchief again. Yes, somehow the flame of the candle had given her the answer to her question. This was Zelos's handkerchief.

"_My violent banshee, you sure attract snakes!"_

Sheena unconsciously moved her hand and touched the spot where the snake had left its mark and swore beneath her breath. That idiot! He had always tried to be the hero in front of her and jumped at the chance to get attention from her. If that weren't enough, now she had to hold onto his handkerchief that was currently in her possession.

Returning the object to the owner was indeed the only option, since she was sure it was forbidden for a Mizuho native woman to have anything that once belonged to another man. Clutching the object tighter in her hand a sudden thought astounded her. Truthfully, she wanted to keep his lost item. This new emotion of possession said that he was the one that didn't ask for it back so it was her right to keep it. Finder's keepers. The possibility of her walking up his doorsteps and returning the item without some kind of confrontation with the owner was slim indeed. That road was obviously not open to her.

At last Sheena nodded, her resolve to keep the item until he personally came and retrieved it from her. Shortly after she had pulled on new clothes and brushed her hair for the evening Sheena took a place in front of her grandfather. The sliding door to the room opened and a man with dark hair and eyes bowed towards the elderly chief before leaving a meal in between the grandfather and his granddaughter. Setting the black chopsticks down, he greeted Sheena and Igaguri and then carefully left the room in silence.

"Something is bothering you." Igaguri said solemnly before he picked up his pair of chopsticks and started on his meal.

Her eyes were lowered over the steaming rice but her attention was elsewhere. Sheena nodded finally and began to explain the strange feelings that she still had for Zelos. Without a single interruption her Grandpa listened as the summoner talked on and on about how this should not be happening. At the end of the long one-sided conversation Sheena at last let out her desires to know about her parents that she'd had ever since Zelos had kept talking about his mother.

There was a long period of silence when Igaguri chose to finish off his meal before he lifted those clear gray eyes to catch the attention of hers. Placing the black pair of chopsticks down her Grandpa halted his movements abruptly and finally seemed to be in the right position to talk. Sheena bit her lip.

"You never fell out of love in the first place, Sheena." Igaguri peered at Sheena thoughtfully, wondering just what kind of nonsense Sheena was speaking of before. "If you fell out of love so easily you never loved the person in the first place."

Reaching out for the red handkerchief that had been slipped from Sheena's hidden pockets during dinner, Igaguri picked it up thoughtfully. As a force of habit, her left hand went up to her flushed cheeks at the embarrassment at being caught red-handed.

Cautiously Sheena said timidly, "I can explain…"

"Sheena, my granddaughter, have you ever wondered why we got along so well before?" Igaguri interrupted with a question of his own. The granddaughter shook her head in reply. "The reason is that you have many of the same physical features as the woman I loved a long time ago. Of course, with my lack of grandchildren, you can rightly assume that another took her. That feeling… it never really left. I still continue to hear her echo."

"I'm so sorry, Grandpa." Sheena's face fell a bit. His thin fingers slipped into her palm and dropped the red handkerchief. Before he lifted his hand off hers, he gave her hand a firm squeeze. A friendly grandfather gesture.

The conversation came to an end but Sheena was not satisfied. Now, after that small talk, she was still as confused as before. She was near the end of her patience for today. In the end, to placate his granddaughter's feelings of injury, Igaguri surrendered a velvet gold cloth that had been found with Sheena when she was left behind in the Gaoracchia Forest. The summoner, a bit afraid of what she had just received, stepped away quickly, not giving herGrandpa any opportunity to tell her more about himself or her.

By nightfall the rain had quickened from a light misting to a heavy downpour. During this season Sheena didn't expect anything less. The sound of the raindrops made Sheena content as she lay down on her bed. The flames of the candles in her room flickered and caught her attention. Then some light out of all the darkness came into existence. A slow and gentle smile shaped Sheena's lips. Soon enough, on the wall, a bunny hopped all by itself. Suddenly, a sharp ache of loneliness arose from her chest. If only Zelos was here…

A freshening anger grew inside her at this thought. She blew out the candles roughly and threw his handkerchief on the side table, nearly sizzling it with her indignation. For some reason it just didn't seen right to fall in love again. Luckily enough, when the rain hadabated into the depths of the night, Sheena had already fallen into a restless sleep.

The next morning, even in the depths of the Gaoracchia Forest, the drizzling moisture continued without ceasing but this did not stop Sheena's attempt at delving deeper into her past. The ninja stared through the stinging droplets down the long path into the Gaoracchia Forest. The tall trees of the forest crowded together and surrounded Sheena. Branches arched high above her dark head, slipping raindrops down upon her as she walked her way through. Memories flooded back to her of the times when she wished to enter the forest and no one would let her pass. The first time she hadofficially gone back to her founding place was her first travel outside her village to Meltokio. The most recent of those memories were, of course, fighting alongside Lloyd's group.

Unlike before, the leaves of the trees were now a healthier green. It was clearly the spring rain that had helped them to become like this. Many of the multiple types of flowers around her were in bloom. Overall the trees and the flowers stood proudly underneath the morning rain. Spring gave each and every one of nature's children a rich color and fragrance while peace and Mana lengthened its existence. The Gaoracchia Forest was no longer the forest of no return but a forest of rebirth.

As Sheena neared the rushing river nearby her eyes fastened on the brief sunlight on the vibrant grass beneath her. The rain seemed to have subdued, though leftover sifting raindrops of moisture dripped down upon her as she passed beneath some trees. On trembling limbs Sheena walked hastily down the steep road in a blissful mood. The echoes of the river were calling to her.

Upon finally reaching the river Sheena decided to slowly walk along its current to enjoy her return to the place where she was found. Her birthplace, she should call it. The sweet scent from the flowers that joined with the fresh scent from the rain smelled like only one thing. It smelled like home. She was finally home.

* * *

How could Sebastian keep a secret that important from him? Zelos threw up his hands in exasperation. No one was ever honest with him it seemed, and now, not even his butler was. He knew he was being unreasonable when he ran out of the mansion on Sebastian like that, but he hadforced his way into his father's past like a fool and there was no stopping what he would do to find out more. 

The redhead walked restlessly about the Gaoracchia Forest, running his hand continuously through his long strands of red hair. So his father, Zanier Wilder, was not really the Chosen after all. He did not even die at the Tower of Salvation like his mother convinced him he had years ago! Suddenly, he couldn't take it anymore and laughed in derision. How ignorant he had been! Perhaps he should have been kept in the darkness by these lies for all his life. With a quick wave of his hand he immediately dismissed the very idea of it. He was no child! He was twenty-four for heaven's sake!

Zelos slammed his hand on a tree trunk nearby. That damn butler! His shoulders shook slightly at the very thought of his father dying in this forest of no return. Everything started to make sense. There had been so many times when Sebastian had told him terrifying stories about the Gaoracchia Forest that, in his young state of mind, he had actually believed and he had never liked being near the place. Of course, it was obvious. His father had gone and had never come out. If Sebastian had thought to replace the death of his father in a forest with the one in the Tower of Salvation to ease his broken heart, the butler had made a terrible mistake.

With hands clenched in rage Zelos stopped and stared around at the trees and flowers surrounding him. The shock was abrupt, the fact was apparent that somehow, in all that thinking, he had become lost in the forest of no return. Unintentionally striking his hand against another tree trunk, Zelos sighed and decided it was best to search for a way out of here. All that rage that had built up inside of him was still there but he knew it was best to keep a cool head. He was not going to end up like his father.

Proceeding forwardssoon enough Zelos heard rushing water. A river he remembered suddenly as he continued on his way towards the echo. Recollecting some memory in the back of his head, he suddenly knew for sure that if he followed the river long enough he would eventually reach Mizuho or Ozette. That should do for now. The information was valid enough because Sheena had told him that.

At last, when Zelos came to his destination, his blue orbs could not stray away from the moving water. For that brief moment his anger ceased to exist. All of that frustration suddenly vanished into thin air. The forest of no return had suddenly become beautiful. Blinking into the light, he recognized the rays of sunshine from the heavens above. There was light in the Gaoracchia Forest? The answer came as quickly as the question. Peace had restored the forest to its former radiance and by Goddess it was stunningly beautiful. How could Sebastian have made up such stories about a place like this?

What was the point in coming to this place anyway? Zelos had to wonder. There was no possible way he could find any clues about what had happened to his father by wandering in this vast forest. Probably he just wanted to walkin his father's footsteps. This thought tugged a smile onto his lips. Inwardly he knew that his father had had at least some affection for his boy. In books he had read before, he clearly remembered reading something that said that parents, no matter the circumstances, loved their children.

The male could imagine right about now what his mother would have said if she knew he had run off into a forest of no return because, supposedly, his father was last seen here. She would have been furious. She would have been anxious. She would have been… like Sheena. A shake of his head accompanied his thought. The two women were too alike.

If that really happened his mother undoubtedly would have gone straight into this forest and looked for him. She would have found him walking along this very river and would have screamed out, "Zelos!"

"ZELOS!" That pleasant echo! Mother? Was it even possible?

Twisting his neck around quicklythe former Chosen gasped and saw his mother standing on the other side of the river with her loving blue orbs and flowing blonde hair. Her favorite gown of blood red hue swept low and brushed either side of her ankles. The golden necklace his father had given his mother as a wedding gift dangled around her neck. The whole forest seemed to have brightened in the dazzling radiance of her smile.

All of that evaporated, however, when he blinked. A young woman with dark purple hair tied up with a red ribbon replaced the vision of his mother. There was no mistaking the difference. The Mizuho native with her slender body and voluptuous curves was walking in his direction on the other side of the river. Relaxing slightly Zelos grew relieved at the sight of his adored lass instead of his dead mother. What had he been thinking?

"Hey! Sheena!" His instinct told him to call out for her.

Elevating her eyes the summoner gasped and dropped some kind of golden object on the grass at the sight of him. Stunned, it seemed like she was debating whether to stay and chat or run and never come back. His outburst somehow penetrated her deep thoughts and held her in that position. Her hand slipped down to retrieve the fallen object and it looked like she was trying to refrain from trembling. Was something bothering her?

The problem now was what to say to her. She had lost her voice for reasons unknown and it was obvious he was without a place to head to. Besides, he could hardly resist walking and talking to an attractive lady such as Sheena Fujibayashi in place of wandering this forest by himself. There wasno telling what would happen should he be trapped in this labyrinth. There appeared to be no alternative other than asking Sheena to accompany him and lead him to a safer place.

Zelos heaved a sigh. "Hunny, don't be stubborn now! Can't you see me?"

Slowly the usual redness reached her cheeks.

"Z-Zelos… I…" Her voice was barely above a squeak.

Zelos raised an eyebrow. This reaction was awfully abnormal. Even with disguised clothing and hair color the former Chosen could distinctively recognize his violent banshee anywhere. Suddenly he caught Sheena retreating a step. Almost self-consciously, he walked in the opposite direction toward her. There must be a problem. To the former Chosen there was nothing more chivalric than helping a lovely lady in need.

* * *

"Oh no!" Sheena moaned in dismay. Taking a step back was definitely a mistake because that caused Zelos to close the distance between them. 

Her mind flew in a thousand different directions. Why was he trying to talk to her anyway? Why couldn't he just mind his own business and continue on his way? She had no hope left. Knowing Zelos he must know what was bothering her and until he did, he would not leave her alone. This was a terrible time for this. All evening yesterday she had reasoned with herself about these old feelings returning to her. In the end she had confirmed that everything she thought had harmlessly left her long ago had not. Love was a cruel thing. It never left and nowit had come back with a vengeance.

She cried out "why" in her mind in disbelief. Why must he choose today and this precise time to be in the exact location she was in? Wasn't it coincidence enough that they had met in that gorge just last week in the same time and at the same location? Could it really be that much of a coincidence? The only place she had left to think and quench her curiosity had been suddenly shattered by the person who was half of her problems.

"Sheena? What is it with you?" The idiot frowned. His face was etched with concern.

He wanted a response so she had no other choice but to give him one. "I'm fine. It's nothing."

Her legs continued to quiver under her. As if rooted to that very spot Sheena watched inevitably as he closed the remaining distance between them. There was only a river separating the two friends now. The two of them made eye contact. Something inside told her that he was briefly scanning her from top to bottom to confirm something bugging him inside. Of course, she had some idea but she decided to keep her thoughts to herself.

"You're lying." Zelos replied plainly, a playful smirk appearing on his lips.

"Whatever. What I would like to know is why you're here." Sheena voiced the question bugging her clearly and loudly for the other to hear.

His lips smiled smugly. "I am lost and without a companion."

The violet-flecked orbs with a glint of raven hardened at the obvious indication. With the quaking that had seized her body her voice could hardly become stable again when she threw back a response to the amusing male across from her.

"And I care because?" Her voice trailed off, her tone indicating her annoyance.

That was certainly unexpected. Zelos staggered for a moment and did not know how to respond such harsh words from the violent banshee. The dry humor Sheena had was easily recognized but the apathetic attitude she displayed was definitely foreign to him. Beneath his searching gaze it appeared that there was nothing different about Sheena and yet Sheena was a bit spooked today. This shocked him and brought his concern up to its maximum level.

In his mind Sheena somehow penetrated his senses ever since their meeting in the gorge. He could not keep her out of his mind during the entire week when he was back at home. Admittedly, he hadn't been himself that day… he hadn't been insensitive or obnoxious or loud… he had been a whole different person. And today, he concluded, Sheena wasn't feeling like herself either. There was no sign of her strange attitude clearing any time soon and he felt he was obliged to her for clearing away his mood the other day. It was about time he repaid that debt.

It was a little hard to talk when there was a river standing in between them Zelos decided. The former Chosen shook his head in dismay before he took a step toward the river and decided that it wasn't as dangerous as it looked. Glancing around for signs of a way to traverse the blue depths without dampening his hair he was relieved to see some stable rocks he could use as stepping-stones. It shouldn't be a big deal then.

"We need to talk face to face, Sheena!" Zelos declared from his side of the river as he jumped to the first stepping-stone.

Taking one last glance at the determined former Chosen Sheena turned her back and started to stroll in the opposite direction. Inside, Sheena knew this was some trick Zelos had in store for her if she was careless enough to jump into such a trap. Biting her lip, however, she struggled against the weakness of her heart. It was the same one that hadonce consumed her when Zelos was struggling against the poison and in the end, lost to its strength. Sheena cursed at this weakness before spinning around just in time to see Zelos landing on a rock halfway across the river. Her violet orbs widened slightly when she saw his landing foot losing its balance on the slippery stone underneath it.

The idea of Zelos hurting himself set her to action. She dropped the gold blanket. Without any hesitation she lunged forward and landed gracefully on a rock near his before she reached out a hand to take a hold of his strong fingers. Indeed she grasped it and was about to tug it toward her when his foot finally lost its last struggle. Predictably, the force of gravity sent both Sheena and Zelos tumbling into the cold surface below.

Snatching a handful of Zelos's fiery hair Sheena used all the strength she could muster in pulling him toward the bank. Several times she felt the water thread through her fingers when her head sunk below the surface of the water. Under the swirling liquid she held the breath in her lungs and fought against the current until both of their heads rose above the water. Gasping for precious air she dragged his body to the edge of the river.

She and the former Chosen coughed for a few moments before they recovered. When Sheena assured herself that neither of them were in any imminent danger she loosened up a bit and knew in the depths of her mind that she had saved him. Taking a brief glance at him a vision assailed her. He took off his vest and shirt first and now was following the routine with his shoes. For obvious reasons Sheena emitted a quick sound which made Zelos stop abruptly in his attempts to start on his pants. The last thing she wanted was for the former Chosen to walk around in his underwear. Zelos scowled in disgust at this.

It took a tremendous struggle for Sheena to fully calm down from what had happened a few moments ago. The wandering eyes of the companion right next to her were noticeable and she groaned when she knew she would be forced to take off her boots to dry her feet. This added more to her vulnerability. The only uncomfortable articles of clothing left were the gloves and outer purple jacket. She shook off the gloves without a care, but the other was a bit questionable. By now Zelos must have noticed that her body was shaking from the chill of her wet clothing. When he finally spoke, it confirmed her assumptions.

"You're going to freeze! You'd better take everything off now!" Sheena heard a hint of concern in his tone when he said that but she was not fooled by his perverted intentions.

"I would rather keep my modesty, thank you." The ninja snapped.

Zelos shrugged carelessly before he got up to his feet and picked up his possessions. If the stubborn woman wanted to freeze it was her own business. Of course he cared but there was nothing more he could do. He could have risked it by untying that ribbon around her waist, but not with the good chances that he was going to be rewarded with a slap afterwards. Sneaking a quick glance at her upset face he lowered his head to her level and offered a hand. She was still sitting on the grass.

"Trust me?" The words rolled off his tongue with ease.

For a few seconds, the irritation in her eyes was absorbed into the depths of those violent orbs. This was the first time Zelos noticed that Sheena had long silky eyelashes that cast pretty shadows on her cheeks. It was only visible at this angle. Searching into each other's eyes, Zelos saw Sheena's eyes narrow with brief annoyance before a certain kindness found its way into them once more. The reflection of himself was staring right back at him before the ninja blinked away a few tears. He did not know what was going on in her mind but before long she released a long sigh.

"I… always trust you," the lass answered at last.

The former Chosen smiled in satisfaction as his strong hand gripped her slender one. He already knew she could not stay mad at him for long. With a strong yank Sheena was standing wobbly on her bare feet. As soon as she was on her feet she lost her delicate balance and landed against Zelos's hard, bare chest. Catching her full against him the sudden contact of their bodies came as something of a surprise. The meeting was brief because Sheena tore away with a gasp.

There was nothing stopping her cheeks from burning. That was an accident! Her mind rebelled at the very thought of the idea that everything that had just happened was on purpose. However, because of that accident, Sheena confirmed one thought that had been bugging her for a while. Zelos treated and handled her like a woman. She had never felt this way before she met him four years ago. This same feeling had consumed her during the last meeting in the gorge as well. Was this the reason why she had loved him dearly and maybe even until now? She glimpsed at his reaction to all this.

The encounter seemed to have stunned Zelos as much as it had her. Never in her life had did she seen Zelos so astounded with his eyes wide and his mouth open. Slowly she saw Zelos regain his posture and he stared at her like he never had before.

"Can you please dress now?" Sheena's request almost sounded like a plea.

Without another argument Zelos hastily complied since he found it impossible to disobey or lift his blue eyes away from Sheena at all. Before the former Chosen could sort all of this mix offeelings out the summoner had already changed the topic.

"For once, I sincerely apologize," the blush was still glowing on Sheena's cheeks. "I will make it up somehow."

This was strange. This day kept getting weirder and weirder by the minute. Zelos knew what he must do now. Though he was quite anxious to be in his father's footsteps he could not let Sheena be by herself any longer.

"Sheena, I want to talk." Zelos caught Sheena's wrist into his and would not let go until she agreed. He was careful not to crush the delicate bones he held so tightly.

With that usual habit of biting her lips Sheena nodded, "Yes, there are some things I wanted to talk about as well."

The two sat down like good friends near a tree close by. Zelos looked at her gold cloth which she held so sacredly against her well-endowed chest. Those violent eyes seemed so distant at the moment. He decided not to disturb the summoner until she said something first. Sheena dropped her hand and let out a steadying breath.

"Have you ever been to a place you've never been to before and yet, it feels like you've been there your entire life?" The question came from her lips like a wind passing through some leaves. The answer was a shake of the head. "The Gaoracchia Forest feels like home."

Much to Sheena's surprise Zelos laughed through the seriousness of her tone, "Are you sincerely calling the forest of no return your home? Is your chest the only part of you that is well endowed?"

After a smack to the head and an "ouch" from Zelos, Sheena argued fiercely, "The forest has changed a lot since then!" To prove her point Sheena jumped to her feet and pulled Zelos along with her. The two of them were still in their bare feet. Letting go of Zelos's hand, Sheena whirled in a short spin and indicated for him to follow her. Zelos frowned. It was obvious why. "Come on now! Don't be a chicken, Zelos! There is nothing better in the two worlds than walking in the grass with the feet God gave you."

"And who said your God exists anyway?" Zelos didn't know what he was talking about since he wasn't even familiar with the God worshipped in Mizuho. But no matter what he was really saying Sheena clearly saw that he was struggling to get out of this situation.

"Are you afraid, snobby noble?"

That taunt was too much for Zelos!

The next minute Sheena found the male strolling right next to her with an arrogant face that was asking for another taunt. Sometimes she had to remind herself of how much Zelos was full of himself. It had been her idea in the first place to enjoy the cool grass underneath her feet but soon enough he was the one jumping and skipping. Observing the former Chosen, a feeling of satisfaction washed over her. This feeling of using his own two feet to walk must be something new to Zelos. Since he was a noble and had lived in a large city all his life it was obvious he wouldn't have experienced anything like this. She, on the other hand, had experienced the hard life of a laborer and had endured many hardships thatZelos could have never imagined. Maybe their different lifestyles were a blessing after all. This way they could help each other and fill in what the other was missing.

"Hey, this is pretty wicked," Zelos said, smiling.

Well, at least this new experience was to his liking. Much to her amazement Zelos retreated some steps and held onto her arm gently before they walked together arm in arm. He could see that she was bewildered by his strange actions and so he started to explain how she was walking too slowly and that he didn't want to lose his beautiful hunny in these woods. Predictably, the forest echoed with the resounding crack of her open palm meeting his cheek. He didn't see that coming and neither did she but she must remind him who was in charge.

Enjoying the fresh air around them and coolness of the grass below them, Sheena knew they had long been off the roads and into the depths of the woods. It was no fun taking the main road anyway. It was rare that they had any peaceful moments between them, if any at all. Abnormal indeed, but people do tend to mature even if it was by just a little.

As if that was the same thought on his mind too Zelos suddenly broke the silence, "You know that time we compared love with coffee?"

The former Chosen _had_ to remind her of _that_ evening. Throughout the week Sheena had feigned the innocence of a simpleton and had avoided all questions thrown at her by either Vice Chief Tiga or Orochi about that whole day when she had been missing. She always answered with a murmur, unable to find any firmness in her voice. They would find it incredibly irresponsible of her to share the same room with a member of the opposite sex and that was without mentioning the two of them sharing the same bed. A shiver crawled down her spine just thinking about it.

"That was ridiculous now that I think about it," Sheena admitted but waited for him to continue with what he was saying nonetheless.

"I liked it. It was so cheesy but I liked it anyway." Zelos folded his arms across his chest and nodded, imitating Lloyd extremely well. "So tell me, what is similar between love and a walk? This should be an easy one for you, my voluptuous hunny."

Teasing blue orbs harassed her like before as she replied the first answer that came to her mind, "everyone takes walks and everyone falls in love."

"So not true, hunny," the redhead smirked and said in a quiet tone, "not everybody." Truly, after spending all her time talking about the concepts of love, she should be an expert. That was much too vague.

She furrowed her brow in thought. "Well a walk is like a journey to one's destination. Love is basically the same thing. Love is like a journey into the unknown in one's life."

"Yeah, clumsy lovers, like clumsy handsome swordsmen, get lost on that journey." Feeling a rough strike on the back of his head Zelos could only assume Sheena disagreed with what he had to say.

"The only one I know is you, idiot," Sheena gave the reason for her smack.

"At least you admit I'm handsome," Zelos twisted her words with a sly grin.

"You… stupid…" Sheena couldn't use that word anymore and saying 'former Chosen' really didn't work for her either. Instead, she had to finish it lamely with an "idiot".

"Why thank you, my gorgeous water queen," Zelos joked.

The surprise of a new nickname struck her quicker than the fact that Zelos had made fun of her with this new nickname. "Gorgeous water queen?"

"It suits you perfectly," The male retorted, his tone emphasizing the word 'perfectly'. It was his next words that answered her question. "You see, every damn time I met you so far, my clothes have been wet. What other way to name your new abilities?"

An uncontrollable heat surged through her body and to her head. Her anger was obvious now, even to someone as ignorant as Zelos, who quickly tried to get out of her way. Every time he put her in a bad temper he never had resoundingresults.

"You see?" Zelos pointed out, backing away from the fiery ninja, "Love is like a walk because it is shared between two people. It's exactly like this connection we're having." The minute he finished his words he dashed away before Sheena could beat him to a pulp like she had so many other times before.

At first Zelos thought thatSheena was hot on his tail but the minute he turned his head around to check for any sign of the hotheaded lass he was shocked beyond all measures. She had stopped chasing after him and instead was carrying a small baby bird in her hands. Leaning on her toes to rise a little higher so she could place the bird back in its nest, Sheena could feel his blue orbs watching her. Her cheeks flushed red at the thought of him admiring her hips. This made her clumsily dropped the bird in its nest. The mother chirped happily at the return of the baby bird which also opened its small yellow beak to thank Sheena for her kindness.

Lowering herself down Sheena caught a pleasing scent below her as a group of multicolored flowers leaned against each other as well as the trunk of the tree nearby. The sight! The smell! There was no helping it- Sheena's mood lifted and her mouth curved into a soft smile. Unfortunately Zelos, who had been watching her all this time, noticed the sudden beauty of her radiant smile and peaceful eyes. That was more to his liking.

"You know, my gorgeous water queen, you could actually be more feminine if you felt like it. You're not all rough around the edges." Zelos commented with such warmth in those dazzling blue marbles that Sheena thought he was actually being serious for once.

All Sheena could manage in a way of reply was deepening the burning on her cheeks. Staring down at her feet she wondered in her mind if he really meant that. Though Sheena avoided meeting his eyes she was vividly aware of that familiar fresh laundry aroma from his clothes. Where he was concerned she wished to remain a wall of silence because she could not imagine what might happen if he found out how much his words affected her. Indeed, if their last meeting had been any indication, his continuously wandering eyes were always following her every move. The fact that he had looked at her as a delicious object for his desires always set off her affection for him. Her pride ached for some assurance of any real desires he had for her as a woman, not an object.

Lost in her thoughts she paid no heed to the movements of the former Chosen who began to move toward her form until a strong arm suddenly reached for her, drawing her immediate attention as he braced a hand on the side of her neck. Sheena's temper flared at these overly familiar actions. She opened her mouth to cry out a reprimand. In the next instant the warmth of his hand withdrew its fiery blaze off her slender neck to reveal a small creature moving on his palm. It was a red ladybug! The gasp that came from her open lips amazed him as he now secured the fragile creature into her hands instead of his. He made no effort to limit his advantage of viewing every part of her instead of the ladybug. To her assumption, this tiny lady was not to his interest.

"Animals are attracted to beautiful things," Zelos observed, his eyes never straying away from Sheena. She knew not if he was talking mainly about the bug or her.

Sheena's gaze grew distant from the ladybug as she remembered the first kiss between herself and Zelos a long time ago. It had taken him a lot of courage to convince her. She had longed for that moment during her youth for a long time and when it was time, he was afraid of her harsh words to attempt such an action. It was best, for the moment at least, to avoid ever reminding him of what had happened between them in the gardens of his backyard. With the courage of the playboy that he was, he had finally succeeded. As gently as she could she released the ladybug from her grasp and let it be free.

Zelos leaned forward until the striking, dark violet eyes came to meet the mocking smile on his face. His face was searching into hers. The male dared to take a step forward, resting his hand possessively on the side of her neck. Meeting his eyes and recognizing the challenge in his gaze, Sheena was prompted to protest at the hand that grasped her neck in a somewhat less than gentleman-like manner. Sheena's breath came as a gasp when their bodies pressed together like before, only this time with the golden cloth in between them. They stared at each other again for a second. Then Zelos lowered his mouth to hers. The shock was too much. No, it was happening all over again. It was a demand, not love. It was desire, not love. It was too hard to tell the difference between both.

No, she could not yield! The screaming denial from the dark area of her brain came alive and it was determined to stop this. Sneaking her hand in between them she pushed his strong body away from her. When he straightened slightly, his blue eyes still burning with an unspoken question, she smiled timidly and acted as if she was distracted elsewhere. Although she wasn't aware of the burning heat in her cheeks, Zelos was.

"Oh look!" Sheena jumped out of his control. "A lemon tree!" Gesturing toward a tree near a patch of open sunlight she pulled his arm toward the destination. "Grandpa wanted to drink some lemonade the other day. Wow, what a great opportunity, huh?"

Zelos frowned he could recognize Sheena's fake happy voice any day. Usually he would have protested but when she tugged his arm securely in her hand and smiled a smile designed to melt a man's temper, he could not resist her feeble attempts at changing the subject. Hurriedly, the two dashed through the trees to the patch of open sunlight. To prove how correct she had been Sheena pointed out many examples of how this forest had changed since the time of their journey together with Lloyd. She showed the liveliness of the forest and Zelos was glad that she was the one who showed him all this. If it were any other his attention would have wavered.

"Now, let's pick some lemons," Sheena said quickly, peering up at the branches of the tree. All of the lemons seemed to be right for the picking. How could they not be after those days of endless rain?

"It is still so weird to see lemon trees in this forsaken place…"Zelos said quietly, almost to himself, "There were always enemies that looked like bell pepper trees but still…"

"Life is too boring for you, oh mighty one?" Sheena teased in a low tone, gently chiding.

Right on the money Zelos agreed, ignoring Sheena's raised eyebrow.

Her disbelief expresseditself in her reply, "How could you say that so casually? Fighting for one's life is exciting for you? Life in itself is not boring!"

Admittedly, Zelos nodded, "That's what I thought at first… until the day in the gorge last week. Playing with a snake was sure exciting! It was much more fun than battling Mithos any day. Seriously!" Whether he was using sarcasm or not, she did not know.

"Jerk." Sheena gave her one-word answer before she turned to the tree in front of her and to her own self-interest and started plucking the lemons from its branches.

This was the last time she would help him when he obviously used it against her. He was fully aware that she was not a snake lover and yet he talked about the snake attack so casually. Even comparing it to battles with Mithos! Sheena swore under her breath. Yet for all his ill manners and vulgar language he had a point in that comparison. Indeed, she found the whole affair amusing. If Mithos had known her weakness he would have had a better chance of defeating her with a gang of snakes than all the angels and Desians combined.

She turned, smoothing the strands of hair from her eyes, then paused when Zelos moved closer to lend his assistance to her current problem. Despite her attempts to shrug off his help Zelos struggled to keep the strands of violet hair from her eyes by holding it above her forehead and then unwittingly slipped his headband through her neck and back up in its correct place. With the headband she was finally freed of the strands of hair blocking her view.

Holding Sheena's shoulders down with both hands, Zelos's eyes passed over her face lightly in admiration from forehead to chin. In the end, he nodded to confirm his examination. She looked adorable!

Sheena was taken aback by his inspection. Not knowing whether to feel flattered or insulted under his sweaty headband she gave him a brief smile. Unintentionally, a hot flush of color burned her cheeks at his closeness.

"Don't worry, hunny, you look as cute as a button," Zelos assured her shortly. Seeing the glare Sheena tossed him he laughed aloud. "Now that your annoying hair is out of the way, let us continue with this adventure."

"Picking lemons is an adventure now?" Her eyes never wavered from his as he stepped even closer and acknowledged her question with a twinkle of his blue orbs.

"Sure, sure," Zelos reassured the lass without any hesitation.

Because of the annoying stands of hair in her eyes before the ninja had only picked a couple of lemons. She suddenly spotted two yellow ones hidden in the upper branches. For some reason these two appealed to her and caught her immediate attention. It was as if they had a special aura around them. But one thing was for sure- she must pluck them! Reaching for them she cursed at the fact that her arm was too short and her legs were not long enough. Fearing that Sheena was losing her cool, Zelos lowered his back to her and motioned her to climb on. He had an idea.

Zelos met her questioning eye and jerked eyebrow. "Babe, I don't want you to break your pretty little back trying to pluck an unreachable lemon. Leave it to me."

"Leave it to you?" Sheena repeated, curiosity mixed with anger in her eyes. Remembering that exact line Sheena spoke of before he betrayed them at the Tower of Salvation, Zelos suppressed his laughter, but could not conceal the look of it in his eyes. Luckily, it went unnoticed with Sheena. "I would rather undress in front of Orochi than leave my body in your wandering hands."

Zelos could not help the smirk on his face. "Seriously?"

"No! Of course not!" Sheena cried out, knowing she had lost her footing in this conversation already. The chances were that Zelos would ask Orochi if he had seen her naked before. Her big mouth had betrayed her. "My point was that I am more likely to break my back with you than Orochi! How can I trust you?"

"You can trust me." Zelos reassured the ninja pleasantly. "Remember what you said before? If my ears didn't deceive me, you said you always trust me."

Giving up her argument because she could not eat her words Sheena looked down onto his strong back and, placing a hand against his shoulder, pulled upward onto his shoulders, drawing a warm blush into her cheeks. At last, after a little work, she secured her behind on top of his right shoulder while her legs hung down over his chest. Sweating a bit, Zelos could tell Sheena felt uncomfortable in this position.

"Is that really the way you want it, hunny?" Zelos queried with light humor, glancing up at Sheena who was ignoring him. "Or would you rather have one leg on each side?"

A growl was heard from above along with a quick answer, "Don't get your hopes up, idiot. You were sweating a bit so I thought I was too heavy for your weak shoulders."

That was practically a lie. His shoulders were actually pretty strong to be able to retain such a burden like her weight. Anyone else would have fallen by now. Carelessly Zelos shrugged, almost knocking Sheena down. She had to graba mess of his hair to stay stable. As Zelos groaned in pain Sheena reached her arm up once again for the same two lemons that she had seen before. Yes! She plucked them out with ease. The extra height of Zelos made this hardly more than a simple task. Sheena grew excited for a few seconds as she reached for more lemons higher up. However, she heard another groan from her side. Sensing some reaction from her he brushed off her concern with a simple "I am a man you know!"

Suddenly, Sheena's eyes shined brighter at the sight of a shiny round object higher up in the branch and much to her sudden greediness she watched as her fingers came closer and closer to her desire. Just a little further. Just a bit more.

Any sign of conversation halted as Zelos raised his eyes to see what in two worlds was taking Sheena so long. Even with the short distance between them Zelos saw the excitement in Sheena's face, though what the cause of it was he didn't know. Only Zelos noted the lifting limbs of her legs on his shoulders because Sheena seemed to be lost in her motives. More to his amazement, the fact that she was literally standing on his shoulders soon enough crushed his bones underneath it.

"Sheena…" Zelos pleaded in a whisper, which unfortunately Sheena chose to ignore.

The intensity was over the minute Sheena cried out happily, "I got it!"

A moment of strained silence passed. Half smiling, half frowning, Zelos could hardly stand any more pressure from her legs and let himself fall onto the soft earth below. He had held the pain long enough with the comforting thought that she was going to finish any minute and now that she had gotten what she wanted he found it equally fair that he got what he wanted. Sheena cut her words of irritation off sharply as she tumbled down and on top of Zelos's back. Murmuring an apology underneath her, Zelos thought it was best to take the safest route in this situation.

Before Sheena started cursing or screaming or hitting or slapping or any other forms of violence, Zelos's attention rested on a certain red object that he could only assume had fallen out of Sheena's inner pockets. The object was too familiar. Sheena was too busy trying to reclaim her lemons to have noticed Zelos picking up her possession. Bewildered, Zelos stared at Sheena's back for a long moment before he spoke up in his new discovery.

"What is this? Sheena, you of all people should know that it is not very ladylike for a woman to carry a man's handkerchief!" Zelos scolded and watched with amusement when Sheena's face came around to face him with surprise in her eyes.

"Give it back to me!" Sheena demanded fiercely when she saw what the essence of the conversation was about.

Quickly she charged towards Zelos and sought to regain the handkerchief that had dropped from her pockets. In her desire to keep the handkerchief she had moved too recklessly and so Zelos dodged with little or no real effort. Zelos fingered the handkerchief distractedly and lifted his gaze to her after inspecting it carefully. The red handkerchief he had lost a week ago had been nowhere to be found in his home. The silver threading of the letter 'Z' in the center of the red handkerchief curiously bore resemblance to the missing one. The long hours of searching for it now seemed for naught since it seemed that Sheena had had it the entire time. Standing solemnly before Sheena tackled him on his back and missed again, Zelos continued to stare at the beautiful handkerchief, thinking that if his mother hadn't been the one who had embroidered this for him at the age of five he would have gone off and bought a new one instead of wasting his precious time in that search.

There had been precious items he felt were priceless, irreplaceable, and even with all the gald in the world he could never have that same feeling again. Even the headband, which now rested on Sheena's forehead, was bought by his mother before she died and although he could have easily bought the exact one at any shop that one seemed special for some reason. It was hard to explain but to continue without it and with a new one was meaningless.

"Keep it," Zelos spoke suddenly and handed the handkerchief back to Sheena.

Sheena lifted a brow suspiciously, not buying the generosity. Nevertheless, she accepted the offered item. "There must be a catch. That is so unlike you."

"I lost it. It was my own fault." Zelos said simply as his chin came up. "I believe you would take better care of it than I did. I do not deserve to take it back."

As soon as the words left his lips the former Chosen had the distinct impression that this may be one of those things he would regret for the rest of his life. However, he had decided to let go of the past and continue to head forward. Love was like a walk and there was no stopping. The sting of saying those words, however, caused Zelos to stare down at his feet and he felt unable to face the red handkerchief. She should keep the headband too. Gritting his teeth, he tried to convince himself that he was sick of it and that it was for the best. Sheena was his precious hunny and who better to take those items off his hands?

"I…" The sadness in Zelos's blue eyes halted her arguments completely. "You frowned too much Zelos… are you still sulking over-"

Zelos did not let Sheena finish as he shot his head up with a renewed grin on his face. "I don't think you need to worry much, my gorgeous water queen! Stop that sympathy right now! I am a man and do not need a handkerchief to wipe my tears on!"

Turning her face away from Zelos so he could not see the forming tears in her eyes, Sheena smiled timidly. He was being strong. He was trying to hold those feelings back. She was not fooled by such words, but it was easier for him if she could pretend to be fooled. Wiping the tears quickly away with the back of her hand she faced him once again with a brighter smile. However, in the back of her mind, she knew it would have been no surprise if Zelos cried to sleep every night.

"No, of course not!" Her tone was harsh as she waved away his assumptions. "I never have any sympathy for a pervert! Don't get your hopes up!"

He bought it, she thought.

Blinking for a few seconds, Zelos leaned up higher and took a branch of lemons into both his hands. In a halfhearted attempt to change the subject, Zelos shook the branch roughly. The method worked as lemons started tumbling down onto the grass below. Her confused silence followed.

"Don't be lazy now, Sheena! Get your lazy big butt over there and finish what you were doing!" Zelos commanded, jerking his head toward the fallen lemons. "Just remember not to drop that handkerchief, okay hunny? We don't want Tiga or Orochi to misinterpret your relationship with me."

"I have no need for your advice!" Sheena shot back over her shoulder while picking up the lemons and putting them into the gold blanket she was carrying.

Without Zelos noticing she tucked the handkerchief back into her inner pockets with a smile. That was all she asked for… he had given her something out of his free will. The gift wasn't the greatest gift in terms of monetary value. It was only the greatest gift because he had given it to her. She would treasure it.

A short time later all the fallen lemons had been taken into her custody. Smiling proudly at what she had done for Grandpa, she sighed in contentment until she spotted one glowing lemon nearby. Surely one more wouldn't hurt.

"Ah!" Her voice was sharp as she realized she had pricked her finger.

Catching the sound of Sheena's voice Zelos picked up one last lemon the floor before he rushed over. He caught her wrist and stared at the blood. In the next instant his open mouth plummeted down, sucking the blood from her finger. Then abruptly Zelos released her and she staggered back, breathless, wrapped up in total surprise.

"Hunny! Look at all these lemons we have to carry back to Mizuho now!" Zelos complained out loud to break the silence.

Some threatening tears brimmed in her eyes which she held back in an effort to hold back her weakness while her other hand was held unchecked against her pricked finger. The blood from that finger had swept the breath and words from her lips until he had performed that courageous, yet strange action. It was all too much out of her control and she found no satisfying words to express her feelings. She arched a brow.

"Zelos, you-" A weak whisper was all she could muster.

Zelos glanced sideways at her and plucked up the same lemon that she had reached out for. "Happy now? I haven't done that much work in my whole life! Can we take a break now, my voluptuous hunny? I feel like such a loser now."

"Thanks." She said softly, hugging the lemons to her chest.

This was a little awkward. He had this sudden urge to shake her by the shoulders and ask her what she had done with the real Sheena. It was quite an experience to see Sheena so happy and so girly. Little did he know she was not joyful because of the lemon he plucked for her but because he was the one who had plucked it for her. Hugging the lemons was a maneuver.

"What for? Can we just sit down or something?" Zelos continued to play the loudmouth.

"If it makes you feel better, you pitiful fool, I will make you some lemonade when we get back to Mizuho, okay?" His eyes lit up at the idea.

"Okie dokie, lovely hunny," Zelos agreed and collapsed against the trunk of the lemon tree. Lemonade made by his favorite hunny of all? How could he decline?

Sheena lowered her gaze down to the pile of lemons above the gold cloth and used her free time to count how many they had collected. In the brief silence that followed Sheena could hear the off-pitch hum of the former Chosen sitting right next to her. Sheena frowned. This was the second time that he had sucked blood for her. However, this second time felt different from the first. Maybe it was the fact that he had done it out of affection instead of danger like the last time. Heaving a weighty sigh, Sheena thought about how much Zelos had changed during the two years he was absent from her life. He still missed his mother, no matter how much he tried to avoid it. What had happened between Zelos and his mother was a total mystery to her. It was almost as puzzling as what had happened toher parents.

Maybe if she tried a little harder she could solve this mystery as well as her own. Sheena chewed thoughtfully on a lip as she asked softly, "Doesn't this lemon remind you of anything?"

"How about you, Sheena? You're the one who brought this up." He was too good. Sheena bit her lip harder and decided it was best if she did not start an argument.

"Well… the yellow color reminds me of yellow roses…" Sheena mused, playing with a lemon between her fingers.

"So your favorite type of flower is a yellow rose?" Sheena nodded a reply.

Zelos wondered why he had approached her answer with such a question. Having acquired many yellow roses at home in time for his mother's memorial this Saturday, Zelos had asked Sebastian the same question except the woman whose preferences in flowers he had been enquiring about had been his mother's. The butler had nodded and dropped his gaze in sadness at the mention of Zelos's mother. When he was young, he still remembered those hours when Sebastian had dutifully served his mother. Had the death of his mother been hard on Sebastian? Zelos mused at this thought. When a child was young and his closest parent died, the child was still ignorant and believed that no matter what happened, his parent would come back. He had believed that thought desperately until he was much older and still alone. Then, the matter became funny to him.

One day, when Sebastian told him that he was going to have visitors, he couldn't help but ask if it was his mother coming back to him. Sadly, the butler replied with a simple no. At that moment all Zelos could do was laugh. He had laughed at his ignorance. He had laughed at his childish dreams. It was too funny. It was hilarious!

"The lemon has the same color as my mother's hair." Zelos accidentally leaked some information to Sheena unconsciously.

"Oh?" Sheena glanced at the redhead in sudden dismay at his weak tone.

"Yes, and she liked yellow roses as well," he spoke timidly, almost too afraid to tell Sheena this.

Her mood changed seeing that his serious self had revealed itself once again. Maybe that thought she had hadbefore was coming true. She must press on, no matter how much it hurt. By talking he freed himself more from the pain, and she knew this from experience. Whenever she talked about her past with Lloyd or Grandpa she felt a great burden lifted from her shoulders. There were three people she trusted in the entire world- Grandpa, Lloyd, and Zelos. It was time Zelos returned that trust.

Sheena grew serious as she admitted, "At least you know your mother's likes and dislikes. I, on the other hand, have not a slightest idea who my parents were."

"Be that as it may," Zelos's tongue was at loss for a moment before he spoke again. "Sometimes, it is best not to know your parents altogether than to know so little about them. At least, that is how I feel."

"So I noticed," Sheena retorted, then bit her lip just in case she added anything distasteful to his last statement.

Zelos made no reply to Sheena's words and continued as if he hadn't been interrupted. "Remember the deal with Kate and her father the Pope? Don't you think it would have been better if she never knew she had such a father? Remember what Lloyd told us about Colette and that angel Remiel? Colette was so worked up in thinking that Remiel was her real father that she forgot her actual father entirely." After that list Sheena lowered her head down in misery at the truth of those words. "Then look at Lloyd. He never knew who his real father was before the big secret was revealed… and he turned out half okay. It goes with Genis too. He didn't have parents who raised him, but Raine was such a great replacement that there was no need to. And then there was…" No answer came and after a long pause, Zelos finished his statement. "You, Sheena, who turned out more than okay. Your grandfather might be strict but he is a good parent for you."

"Zelos." Sheena hadnever felt such gratitude before. Her pride was struck by the very thought of running away again though. Running away from what she believed in. Running away from her past. Running away from those she loved. She vowed never to run away again and she was going to keep that vow. "But Zelos, I have set all my heart into finding out who my parents are and I am not going to stop until I do. And with this piece of evidence" -she waved her golden cloth higher- "I will succeed."

For a split of a second she thought she saw a dark glint in Zelos's eyes. However, that thought was put aside when he beamed. "Stubborn as hell. Oh well, continue on with your foolish pride and finish what you havestarted." Irritably, she folded her arms across her chest and glared. "Don't give me that look, hunny pie, not after I am going to tell you that I will help you in this pointless search."

"I'm sorry, idiot," Sheena had a ghost of a smile playing on her lips. "I didn't hear you the first time."

"Funny, very funny," Zelos released a short laugh before the gravity of the situation came back with a frown. "No matter what I said before… I have to be honest with you, Sheena." Zelos paused as if he had second thoughts about finishing his thought. Sheena waited patiently. "If only I had a second chance, I would have done everything to have her back. I want my mother back!"

Those words sounded foreign in her ears. Was that the real Zelos speaking out to her? Her instinct told her it was. And even if it wasn't, she believed his every word. She trusted him. She never lost her trust in him. He had earned her trust without lifting a finger.

"But that is not possible." _Unless I have the Eternal Sword_, Zelos mused in his mind but threw those useless thoughts aside. What was the point ofgoing back in time if destiny had chosen such a path? "Not when she dissolved right before your eyes… and then you thought she would come back… you waited over and over again in your bed every night and thought one day, you would wake up and your mother would be standing by your bedside once more."

A long pause followed as neither one knew what to say and each of them was left in their own thoughts. However, as painful as it was to say, she must say it. Sheena had told these haunting thoughts to Grandpa before, and even Lloyd. Now, it was time she told Zelos.

"I know exactly how you feel." Sheena tucked her hand into her inner pockets and took out an item she thought she would never see again. It was the half spider she had received a while ago when she was taught not to run away. Zelos had been there and immediately recognized the item she had taken out. "I grew up with these people. I grew up knowing them well. I grew up training and eating with them. And lastly, I watched them one by one as they vanished in pools of blood before my eyes. It was the most horrible feeling in both worlds." She finished in a barely breathed whisper.

Zelos's brows gathered in a harsh frown at those words. Staring into the distance, her words kept ringing in his mind. _I watched them one by one as they vanished in pools of blood before my eyes. _They sat in silence while Sheena thought of her parents and Zelos thought of his. Finally Sheena lifted her eyes and when he too did the same she caught his gaze and held it with a renewed sparkle in her eyes.

"You loved her, didn't you?" Sheena asked, knowing there was no need to mention names.

"No, she was my mother so it was natural I would feel some distress." He stated bluntly. "It takes a weak man to love his mother even after her death. I can't say I am the strongest man, but I am not weak. Mother's memorial day is coming and that is the only reason why I am even bothered with her." Everything he said was a lie.

Sheena studied him for a long moment. She found no satisfaction in his reply. He was afraid and she was sure of it. The mentioning of love made him uneasy. Was he really that dense? Why must men always act so tough at times like this? This quality always irritated her.

Frustration with his weak replies made her change the game completely. "You're lucky then, Mister Philanderer, to never feel the pains of love. It is very typical of you."

"Oh?" Zelos was curious as he leaned forward. "And you have? You always sound like an expert to me."

The tone of his voice was one of a master. A little cajoling could easily go a long way with Sheena and her temper. This ploy, which he had used many times in the past to wheedle answers from Sheena, seemed to work this time too because soon enough Sheena started spilling the beans with her rant.

"You think? What a bastard he was." Zelos urged her on with curiosity in those blue eyes. "Before I experienced it, I thought the rules of Igaguri custom against love were a bit harsh. Now I know exactly why such a rule existed! Love is horrible I say!"

"I thought love was supposed to be a wonderful feeling…" Zelos continued with his ignorant act so that the ninja would continue to shareher wide range of information with him.

"In the subjects of love, talking to you is very easy. You are not serious enough to settle down with any one girl for the rest of your life." Zelos frowned uneasily at this provided data. Did she really believe that he really could not settle down? Did everyone including Lloyd believe the same thing? He felt betrayed somehow, especially since it was Sheena who had said it.

Sheena continued and did not notice the reactions from Zelos. "Love makes you vulnerable to these terrible feelings. With every smile he gave someone else, you felt a stab in the back. With every passing minute thatyou're away from him, you hungrily await the next meeting. With every argument exchanged with him, you want it to end and make up. With every pain he felt, you want to endure it with him." Sheena shot her head up in defiance. "That is what love is!"

"Who is he?" Zelos asked angrily. His voice almost formed into a roar. His eyes were blazing as he met her surprised ones. "I will never let someone hurt you like that! Never! Tell me who he is and I will give him a beating he won't forget!"

Sheena's mouth opened slightly. Never, ever had she seen Zelos so mad before. No, there were instances she had caught when he was this mad… but never in front of her. Maybe in front of Lloyd or even his butler Sebastian, but never had he blown his humor away so completely in front of her. It was so unlike him!

Calmly, Sheena reached up and dropped a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry your idiotic head about me. I'll be fine."

"Damned ass!" Zelos cursed, calming down slightly with her touch.

Inwardly, Sheena giggled at his reaction. If only he had known who the person was, his vulgar vocabulary wouldn't be used so recklessly. Sighing in contentment, she saw the anger slowly waning from his usually carefree face. The Mizuho native waited until his entire anger had fled before she attempted a dangerous mission.

She tickled him. It was an easy effort because one, he was distracted and two, she was quick with her hands. It was useless to fight back the laughter trying to escape from his throat. The laughter came out in gasps and then he stared fiercely at the one who had caused it. At this close range she was an easy target for a counterattack.

The tickling contest began. Both were rolling around and trying to fight off each other's hands. Unnoticed by both of them, they had helplessly rolled out into patch of sunlight. The golden cloth was dropped unattended by the lemon tree as the lemons rolled out from its bundle. If Sheena knew she would have to pick all the lemons up for a second time today she would surely be a foul mood.

In the end, the victor was Zelos who had the unfair advantage of knowing Sheena's weak spot on her back. In a teasing manner Zelos boasted about his victory by saying that if Mithos knew Sheena's weak spot on her back he would have had an easier time defeating her. As her usual reaction, she was about to shout back a comment when Zelos clasped his hand over her mouth and shushed her. It was only then that she heard the echoes of the singing birds of the forest as well as the rushing sound of the river.

"What a beautiful song." Zelos said softly, forgetting that he still had his hand over her mouth. He stared around at the open sunny area of grass. A thought occurred to him. He got up and offered a hand. "May I have this dance, my voluptuous hunny?"

Sheena raised her eyes with an incensed glare at him. Reddening, Zelos realized his mistake and lifted his hand off her mouth. Without a moment of warning Zelos's hand snuggled into hers to answer his own question for her. For someone like Sheena the routine was familiar. Sheena's left hand rested on his shoulder. Bringing her into his embrace she blushed lightly before he whirled her into a dance. To begin with she walked through the steps with some confusion. But under Zelos's guidance she caught the rhythm and adapted well to it. This surprised Zelos however.

Zelos searched her face for any answers but found none. He had to ask.

"For someone from Mizuho your standards in dancing have far exceeded my expectations. Care to share your secret with me, hunny? Or who your teacher is?"

Something caught in Sheena's heart. It was either disappointment or revelation, though she could not tell the difference.

Sheena grinned suddenly. "You did, idiot."

"What?" The redhead arched a brow questioningly. He swung her around in another whirl.

"Has it really been that long? You are the one that insisted that I danced that night you met me again in Meltokio, remember?" The dark-haired woman reminded him gently.

"Sheena?"

Avoiding his gaze completely, Sheena asked quickly, "How is your fiancée by the way?"

A bit taken back, Zelos sounded out his words slowly, "She is well… I would assume."

"Don't you know definitely?" Sheena pressed, finding it a bit strange for someone not to know what was going on with someone they were supposed to be marrying.

"Actually," Zelos admitted at last, "I have no clue. We lost contact ever since you left for that world of Sylvarant and then, when I renounced my title as Chosen, the marriage arrangements that were organizedduring our births were immediately annulled."

"Oh, and here I was wondering if you were a married man or not." Sheena tried a false laugh to fool Zelos, who saw rightthrough it.

"Was that why you asked?"

"Of course, what other reason would there be?" Again, the fake laugh echoed. Her eyes were wide and innocent as she said, "How fast does your heart beat? Have you been exercising lately? Or have you been sleeping all day in your mansion?"

"You mean lemon picking isn't enough exercise for you?" Sheena frowned at his astounding humor. He laughed at the protest in her face.

By his answer she could assume he hadn't done much exercising since peace had spread throughout the land. Contrary to her beliefs however, he danced with agility, which may say a thing or two about the existing time he spent working out and walking. He was probably in the best of his condition. At least, his arms were strong or else he would have had a harder time helping her pick lemons.

She laid her head over his heart. It was easy since he was five inches taller than she was and his chest was by her height. There was also the fact that they were dancing and it was a good opportunity to hear the heartbeat of the former Chosen.

"Thump, thump." Sheena accidentally mumbled out loud the sounds of her own heartbeat before she checked on his. A moment later, when she looked up at his eyes, they were both caught in disbelief. Was it even possible?

Zelos peered down at her. "Do that again."

Flicking a brow, she obeyed and dropped her hand from his shoulder and then over her heart to make sure. Her heartbeat was beating like quick footsteps crossing a river. She believed the cause of this was because his hand was still resting casually against her hip.

"Thump, thump." Sheena and Zelos repeated simultaneously.

Removing a fallen tress on her brow she rested the hand back over his shoulder. The silence was unnerving. Her insides were crawling with a strange sensation. Somehow she must conquer this weakness of hers.

"Heh, our hearts like each other." Zelos said, a bit too carefree for her taste. "They beat at the same time. Can this be"-hearts appeared in his eyes- "destiny? Love?"

"You stupid philanderer," Sheena could not help the genuine smile appearing on her lips though.

Sometime later, Sheena and Zelos escaped from the whirling dizziness of 'over-dancing' by sitting on the comfortable grass and catching their breath. With an exhausted sigh Sheena sank gratefully on the grass and stared at her cards for some inspiration. She was one to never make the same mistake twice and ever since that snake incident she made sure she carried her cards with her wherever she traveled. At first Sheena played around with the card in her hands and then she folded the card in half. Her cards were paper after all. Sheena smiled at her sudden awareness.

Zelos Wilder came to stand before the concentrating lass with her velvet cloth in his arms. The lemons were threatening to fall. It seemed Sheena was unaware of his presence and, in a quiet mood, he sat down beside her. He observed her closely as she licked her transparent lips slightly. Her full red lips were to his liking and he gazed at them for some time. When he moved his attention to what she was working on instead, his jaw dropped slightly. He attacked her with his curiosity.

"Is that an evil tortoise or something?"

"No!"

"Then I am confused…" He watched closely as she folded another corner. "Oh! I see! It is a bat! Am I right? Am I right?"

"Can you be quiet for just a second? I am not finished!" She informed him crisply.

"Wait… it looks like that monster we fought against when we were with Lloyd… you know, the one with the long neck and the sliding wings…" Zelos began, but Sheena flung a lemon at his head to stop him from continuing. He groaned in pain.

"It is a crane! Dammit! A CRANE!" She said through gritted teeth, angry at the necessity of having to explain what she had created out of her water card.

Dawning came and Zelos did his best to not laugh out loud at his stupidity. "Oh, I'm sorry my violent banshee. I was not aware that you were able to fold cute animals."

"You are so annoying! Go away!" Sheena shouted, hoping he would leave her alone. His comment about how she was unable to feel for cute animals stung her severely. Okay, so she wasn't a Colette, but who was? Colette was one of a kind.

"Come now, Sheena hunny," Zelos chided with humor. "I know what I said was pretty harsh." All he got in reply was a severe glare. "Okay, okay, I'll make it up for you."

The former Chosen reached down and slipped a hand over one of her cards, taking it over to his lap and attempting to fold it. Her nose lifted to see him struggle but sympathy conquered her anger. Soon enough she showed her back to Zelos and urged him to use it as a desk. All her resolutions of screaming at Zelos had mellowed to a desire to see what he was folding. Origami, she thought, was not something he had attempted before.

"No touching," Sheena warned. To prove how serious she was she flicked her card in his direction, making it gleam in the sunlight. Those sharp edges! Even if the card was not infused with magic he couldn't show his beautiful face to the public with paper cuts over them.

Sheena felt his hands move over the thin water card, working its way over the corners and the edges. Surely, she thought, he knew what he was doing since he seemed to work so hard towards its completion. He repeated a few steps now and then. Sometimes he paused and tried to remember a certain step. Sweat dripped. Finally, he was finished.

Without giving an indication of his intent except for the deviousness in his eyes he smoothed a hand down the side of her hip. She jerked at his touch. Curvy, he smiled. Did she really think he was going to obey her?

Zelos had known firsthand the glare, the shriek, the temper, and last, the smack and could well understand the only way to cool that fiery temper was to be smart. Be adorable. Be handsome. Be Zelos Wilder. Her fuming appearance alone could send Zelos flying to the other continent of Sylvarant, but it was not able to withstand the counterattack he sent by holding up a beautifully folded blue heart. If only the card was red…

Zelos blinked his eyes and wondered why he didn't feel any pain. Hesitantly his gaze came back to the Mizuho lass who accepted the heart and completely forgot her anger. Tenderly she held the heart to her chest and smiled. Relief washed over him.

"That heart was pretty crappy, but it was the best I could do." Sheena didn't seem to hear his words since she made no attempt to reply. "Anyway, I thought it would be nice if you keep it and everything. Mother would have wanted it that way." _Since she taught me how to fold paper hearts anyway._

"Yes, I like it," Sheena informed Zelos but then her eyes sparked with renewed radiance. She could become an actress if she wanted to. "But you are not getting off the hook that easily!"

Zelos realized his mistake at dropping his guard. He yelped and ran as if his life depended on it. No smacking, no killing, no threatening, just a little chase shared between the two companions. It seemed that with each minute's passing Sheena closed more of the gap between them. She was quite a runner and he wished to somehow lose her. This effort seemed futile however.

As expected Zelos was held down on the ground with Sheena sitting on top of his back. Satisfaction was written clearly on her face. At her bidding he peaked up at her and admired her sitting form. She really did have nice legs. The view was splendid from down here. As much as he would have liked to have stayed in this position, his back ached in soreness.

"You can't get away with hurting the great Zelos like this!" Zelos threatened, struggling under her weight. Sheena showed indifference to this.

"You only have yourself to blame for touching me even though I told you clearly not to. This is how you discipline men who do not obey orders." Sheena said, smirking.

"I was not aware that that was an order. I thought it was a temptation." Zelos groaned as Sheena pressed down upon him. By that he guessed thatshe did not like his answer. He tried another tactic. "You know you are quite beautiful when you're angry."

"Flattery is not going to get you anywhere."

"Geez, first Regal… now you… poor me." Zelos sighed, remembering the time when he had been walking innocently through the sewers when Regal had dropped out of nowhere and placed a firm leg on top of his back. He made a mental note to himself to always to watch his back just in case convicts or banshees tried to attack him. This did not seem to stir Sheena one bit. "Have you no pity? You are so cold, Sheeeeena!"

"You know," Sheena interrupted. "You can always apologize like a gentleman."

Light laughter echoed through the forest. Zelos gave Sheena a lecherous grin. "I knew that. Oh, my voluptuous hunny, I am truly sorry that I placed my hand where it shouldn't have been. Would you ever forgive me?"

"You are so hopeless…" Sheena hung her head in defeat. _And maybe that is why I enjoy your company so much._

Getting up off his back Sheena went over and picked up the golden cloth from where Zelos had dropped it. She caressed the velvet item. She was becoming increasingly aware that all day today she had not found a single clue as to where she had come from and who her parents were. Instead, she had spent it with Zelos. That idiot. Sheena corrected herself. No, he was her idiot. For some reason she couldn't concentrate on her goal with Zelos around. She was stirred by the nearness of him and most enchanted with the time they spent by themselves with no else to disturb them.

Zelos moved to stand beside Sheena, offering her her boots. She gathered the boots to her and stared down at his feet which were now in his white shoes. As she struggled to pull her boots up Sheena noticed the lack of sunlight and although she used the back of her hand to shield her eyes from the sun to make sure, it was obvious that the day was coming to an end. So many events had happened today and never once had she paid any attention to how fast the day was going by. For the last hours it was as if the whole world didn't matter. In the beginning she had only met Zelos out of coincidence and had had no plans to continue traveling with him. She had been more concerned with her search for any clues about her parents and had no reason to talk. But now, here he was by her side. There was only he and she.

"I'm sorry. I will search harder next time. Duringall this time I found no clues at all." Sheena mumbled to the golden cloth as if it could hear her.

The redhead barely heard her. Cautiously he touched her shoulder with his hand. The image of him on his back under her was still vivid in his mind. There was no telling what she would do next. Sheena hugged the golden cloth closer to her breast and that left Zelos only with some regret at what he had said before about terrible parents. He definitely did not know her parents but he was sure they were as delightful as their daughter. At least, he liked their daughter.

"Sheena… may I?" Zelos indicated the golden cloth as Sheena yielded to his request. He was serious if he used her name rather than a flippant nickname. Scanning over it quickly he noticed small silver letters hidden on the other side of the golden cloth. Wait, he recognized these letters. "Good news! Here is a clue!"

She leaned over to see the silver letters but it did not help her spirits one bit. "I can't read it." She said simply.

"But… I could…" Zelos stopped and realized his mistake in showing Sheena letters she had never seen before. "Oh! They are written in an angelic language."

"Then read it to me." Sheena urged, losing her patience. If he were indeed a Chosen, he would have learnt how to read it like Colette had.

Zelos inspected the letters carefully before meeting Sheena's dark orbs. "Well, you see… it has been a while since I reviewed my studies…" Sheena's head hung lower. This made Zelos's heart skip a beat. He beamed. "Have no fear, Sheena dear! I will translate this for you in three days time as long as you lend this to me. Okay?"

Her eyes flicked over him. "Zelos… can I trust you?" This was the third time this matter had been discussed. Zelos elevated a brow at that repeated question. Half embarrassed by her blunt question she rushed to explain. "I only asked you that because you seemed so sincere. It was very unlike you and I was afraid."

Dusk had spread over the land and the brilliant radiance from the pink clouds sent its last hopeful search before the gray ones took over. The last shining rays touched Zelos as he closed the gap between Sheena and himself. There she was, his beloved ninja, who seemed vulnerable to the hurt of being betrayed. A frigid wind made Sheena shiver. At this moment her vulnerability seemed to be physical as well. He shot his hand to his eyes and rubbed them. The dust hadcrept its way in. Leaning up on her tiptoes Sheena gently blew the cruel creatures away just like his mother hadonce done. Sheets of rain began to fall and slash down upon them. Ever so gently he held up the golden cloth with one hand. In an effort to hold back the sobs she sniffed and clasped her hand desperately against the soft surface. The former Chosen searched her gaze and waited briefly before he squeezed that hand affectionately.

He blinked his eyes against a splattering of droplets. "A long time ago, when we were still together, you trusted me and I betrayed your trust. When we met each other again, your trust came back. Then, for a second time, I betrayed it by taking Colette away. You were disappointed in me. You probably hated me. I would have understood if you never trusted me again. Before Lloyd fought Kratos, on that very night, you came up to me and told me that you still trusted me. You never lost any faith in me. I never want to lose it again."

The rain began to pour harder. Gasping, Sheena turned her face away from the pelting raindrops. The two of them held the golden cloth above their heads and the lemons snuggled securely in their arms before they ran over the wet grass.

The drenching rain did not affect Zelos much. Although he had to move with damp shoes now he still had to finish what he had begun. "Sheena, you said you had always trusted me. You said it when I lifted you to your feet. You admitted it when I lifted you onto my shoulder. And other times, by your actions, I knew you trusted me. But for this you are unsure?"

Sheena shook her head stubbornly. "No, not unsure."

"Then what is it?" Zelos asked sincerely.

"I want reassurance. I want you to say it to me. I want you to tell me you can also trust me." Sheena was afraid to look at his face and it wasn't because her face would have been struck with splattering raindrops.

They stopped in front of the rushing river. The water was going at an unbelievable speed. The trees were now soaked with water. The flowers were getting their evening drink. Sheena could feel the water seeping into her boots. Zelos could feel that his pants were drenched.

"I like the rain actually," Sheena admitted at last. "I used to wish that I would meet my true love on a rainy day. He would help me under an umbrella and take me under his arm. He would be gentle with me. He would care for me."

Zelos peered at her thoughtfully, wondering just what to believe from this violent banshee. There were so many sides to this single person. "Was that why we used to be together? Was that why you chose me? Because we met on a rainy day."

"That was what I thought at first." Sheena admitted, nodding. "But you were nothing like the person I imagined. You did not help me under an umbrella and take me under your arm. You did not help me or care for me. Do you remember what really happened?"

Zelos stared at her wet face. The rain had made it difficult for him to tell if she was crying or not. It was possible the water on her face was from the rain that had settled upon it before they had hidden under the cloth because he noticed she hadn't wiped it away yet. But if she was crying… he felt guilty. Was he the cause of it? No, he shook his head fiercely. His violent Sheena never cried.

"I remember. After you said raindrops are like tears I started sneezing and then" -Zelos felt a sharp ache against his chest- "you took care of me. You took me under your umbrella and under your arm. You took me home."

"Quite ironic, isn't it?" Sheena said. "But it did not matter because none of those things matter anymore. You were nothing like the person I imagined. Still, I did not care."

The two rushed over the river by crossing the dangerous rocks. It was a treacherous task but with each other's help they made it across without falling into the cold depths below. The former Chosen carefully released the arm that was beneath her shoulder in order to help her across. They followed the trail that led back to Mizuho, the same one that Sheena had set out on this morning. The ninja passed by the flowers and trees that she recognized from before. Nearing their destination Sheena felt more comfortable at the thought that the emotions for Zelos she had been experiencing lately would lessen a bit without his presence around hers.

When Zelos next spoke it was with a trembling voice. "I owe you so much. Why don't we go on a date like we used to?" He had fully grasped how important she was to him.

Despite his sincerity Sheena forced a laugh. "I would rather be your mother instead."

Zelos tried to see her face through the shadows of the cloth. "Sheena… I…"

"I'm sorry but I think I will have to make you that lemonade some other time." Sheena interrupted as she hunched her shoulders indifferently. "I would have put too much sugar in it anyway and I know how much you dislike too much sugar in your lemonade."

Surprisingly Zelos knew exactly what Sheena was hinting at. In his language she was saying that she would have put too much of her love into the lemonade and that he was too carefree to settle down with any one girl. Ouch, that was quite a blow. That thought horrified him now. He was losing Sheena. Before he could even say anything his beloved ninja bent down and left the golden cloth in his care.

"At the very least, I trust you." She said loudly and clearly. A smile played on her lips. "Please translate those words for me and I will meet you in three days to find out what they say. Hopefully we can work together like good friends do." Those words stung hard in his heart.

Taking the lemons out of his hands and into hers she stood and stared at him as if waiting for some kind of answer. He did not know what to do. He stood there like a fool. Zelos mentally scolded himself. Why must he talk all the time when it was unnecessary and when it really was, he could not even utter a word. Say something at least!

Her lip trembled slightly before she finally gave up and turned around. With one last look at him she walked towards Orochi who was waiting for her at the entrance of Mizuho.

"I… trust you too, Sheena." Zelos mumbled to himself at last.

The blue clad ninja waved at her to indicate that he wanted her to move faster. Orochi saw her thin lips form themselves into a smile upon seeing him and he turned away. In a little while Orochi concluded something had made Sheena happy and depressed at the same time. Something made her happier than she had ever been in the last two years. Then again, something had also made her more upset than she had ever been in the last two years. Orochi was taken back at first and then glimpsed the twinkle in Sheena's violet orbs.

"Were you with someone?" He inquired suspiciously.

Glancing sideways the former Chosen completely vanished from sight. Her instinct told her that he was probably going to Ozette and going home from there. He knew that area better anyway. Catching Orochi eyeing her the Mizuho lass timidly hid the folded heart behind her back. It was buried in the pile of lemons she had collected when she was with Zelos.

Sheena chuckled inwardly. How stupid she had been to think that he had changed dramatically. He had but not enough to accept her yet. Well, she would soon be seeing him again. By then she hoped with all her heart that something would guide her toward the correct path. The decision she had to make for herself.

Sheena shook her head slowly. "No, just me and my echo."

**Ending Notes**: Originally I was going to finish this chapter with a happy ending but where is the suspense in that? Inspiration hit me right in the face for this while I was picking lemons with my brother. The same thing happened to us except without all the fluff. He is my brother… And last, originally again, I was going to add a few more fluffy moments but the chapter was way too long already. One more thing I would like to say is,just in case you haven't caught the plot of the story, it is about Sheena finding out her parents are and,along the way, Zelos finding out the truth about his as well. However, I really think the exchange of romance between Zelos and Sheena is the plot and parent-finding part is the subplot. Oh well.

Thank you all so much (especially Sis Samuu for editting)! This chapter took two months of writing and editing before it was uploaded so please **R & R**. I noticed there are still a large number of readers who do not review! How can you put my story in your favorites when you never left a single review? Oh, and updates? Is anyone out there expecting an update for this fanfic in a few days or even months (not counting the one year absence and the fact that this fanfic is for writing inspiration purposes mostly)? Hehe, anyway, Minnie loves you all.


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